


Episode IX: The Only Hope

by madi_solo



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-30
Updated: 2018-07-03
Packaged: 2019-03-11 09:26:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 39,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13521348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madi_solo/pseuds/madi_solo
Summary: The galaxy is divided. One year has passed since the demise of Supreme Leader Snoke at the hands of Kylo Ren, who now strives to command a vast military force that is fraught with deception and disloyalty.Following the Battle of Crait, the Legend of Luke Skywalker has spread to other systems and reignited a spark of hope. A new Rebellion has been reborn from the ashes of the Resistance and rises to challenge the tyranny of the First Order.But the rebels have lost their general. Leia Organa’s passing has transferred the mantle of leadership to Poe Dameron, who seeks to restore the freedom fighters’ morale by conducting a mission to liberate the enslaved workers of the Adamus Mining Station and claim an invaluable resource for the Rebellion. As the facility powers down for its night cycle, a small team makes a daring approach, hoping that the First Order does not discover the danger until it is too late….





	1. Chapter 1

“There it is.” 

Finn jabbed a finger past Rey’s head as she gazed through the broad viewport of the B-7 freighter. They had just dropped out of hyperspace, and now a hazardous field of asteroids lay scattered before them. Boulders larger than their ship slowly tumbled through the starry void, and at the center of the treacherous labyrinth floated a mammoth chunk of rock that was nearly the size of a small moon. 

“Wow,” Rose breathed in awe. But her attention was focused elsewhere, her wide eyes staring out the left side of the viewport. “It’s beautiful.”

Finn glanced over, and Rey swiveled in her chair. Far below them, a planet loomed, silent and white and pure as snow. But it was deeply scarred, as if scorching claws had been ruthlessly raked across its surface. 

“And violent,” Finn added gravely. “I can see the rivers of lava even from here.” 

It was an incredible view indeed, but there was no time to admire it now. Rey spun to face forward once more, the voices of her fellow rebels chattering excitedly behind her in the main hold. Seven soldiers had accompanied them to the Adamus Mining Station, which had been suffering under the tyranny of the First Order for half a decade. Innocent inhabitants of nearby systems were often seized from their homes or the streets they walked and sold into slavery, doomed to maintain the facility and mine its precious oil until their bodies failed them. Then the cycle of cruelty would repeat itself. 

Rey’s clenched fists tightened around the controls until her knuckles turned white, and she swallowed, attempting to stifle the anger that was bubbling up inside her. Focus, she reminded herself. 

_Beep! Beep! Beep!_

The sudden, rapid succession of shrill sounds startled her, and her eyes darted to the right side of the console. “Finn!”

“Yeah—on it!” he responded quickly, moving to peer down at the series of symbols and digits scrolling across the blinking screen. “Incoming transmission—from the station.” 

“Patch it through.” 

Rey took a quick, steadying breath, preparing herself for the possibility that she might hear the voice of a First Order officer instead of their man on the inside. She heard a button click as Finn accepted the call, and light static crackled from the console. 

“Adamus to B-7 freighter: you have not been authorized to approach this facility. State your business immediately, or be dealt with most harshly.” 

A wave of relief washed over her. That was him. She was sure of it. “This is Captain Dosmit Raeh. I am transferring cargo to a nearby system, but there appears to be some sort of leak, and I am running dangerously low on fuel. Requesting permission to dock.” 

There was a brief pause during which not a single rebel dared to breathe. 

“Permission granted.” 

Rey grinned and glanced up at Finn, who returned her smile before disappearing into the main hold and telling the rest of the crew to grab their gear and check their weapons one last time. On a mission like this one, a seemingly insignificant mistake could mean the difference between life and death. 

It was not long before the center asteroid filled the entire viewport, and she could now discern a massive network of pipes running in and out of the rock. Yawning, circular vents expelled dangerous fumes out into space, and directly ahead was an enormous hangar whose durasteel doors were sliding open to grant them passage. She slowed the ship’s speed still further, eyes roaming over the hangar’s bleak interior as they crossed the threshold. Arranged in precise, ordered rows that extended the length of the bay were a whole host of mining vessels, transports, several TIE Fighters, and—

She stopped breathing. Rey felt as if a large stone had suddenly lodged itself inside her throat. She had already deployed the landing gear, and now the freighter was settling down beside a lone Upsilon-class shuttle. 

“Rey? Is something wrong?”

She said nothing in reply as Rose stepped closer and watched her with concern. Fingers trembling violently as they continued to grasp the controls with ever-increasing desperation, she stared blankly out the viewport, eyes wide and transfixed by the sleek black hull and folded triangular wings. She heard Finn’s voice somewhere behind her, but it was muffled, his every word drowned out by the wild cascade feelings coursing through her. 

“Rey.”

His hand firmly gripped her shoulder, the sound of her name finally dragging her back to reality. She looked up at him, his grave features knowing all too well the memories the sight of that ship would have recalled to her mind. 

“Rey,” he said again, calmly and deliberately, “other First Order officers and dignitaries use those shuttles. Don’t worry. There’s no way he would bother to come here. These people are beneath him.”

Slowly, she nodded, feeling like a fool. “You’re right.” 

Shaking her head in an effort to clear her thoughts, she pressed several keys on the console and heard a distant hissing sound as the ramp lowered far behind them. Rose’s footsteps retreated into the main hold, but Finn remained standing close to her chair. 

“Are you okay?”

“Fine!” she answered a little too brightly. Internally wincing, she feared that he would detect her lack of sincerity. 

He said nothing more, but Rey sensed a flicker of suspicion inside him as he turned and left her alone in the cockpit. Her smile vanished, and she took a deep, steadying breath. Closing her eyes, she embraced the moment of calm before the storm. This was a rare opportunity to strike a crippling blow against the First Order, and she could not allow herself to be distracted now. There was too much at stake. 

“This is for you, Leia,” she whispered. 

Then she stood, making her way first through the main hold and then to the edge of the boarding ramp, where the rest of her team was eagerly waiting. 

“I saw two stormtroopers heading this way,” Finn told her quietly, his blaster rifle already drawn and at the ready. 

“Well, let’s go and greet them then, shall we?” 

Confidently, Rey disembarked, Finn and Rose following closely behind her and the rest of the soldiers behind them. Their hands were on their blasters, tensed and ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice. But she had other ideas of how to deal with the approaching troopers. 

“Let me handle this,” she said under her breath, Finn giving her a curious look as they all came to a stop. 

“We weren’t told to expect any arrivals during our watch,” one trooper informed them with undisguised hostility, leaving three meters of space between them. 

“We were authorized to land,” Rey responded firmly. “Our ship is in desperate need of refueling.” 

The stormtroopers shared an obviously skeptical glance, and the one who had spoken peered past her. “A B-7 freighter. Do you have cargo?” 

“Yes.”

“What is your destination?”

“You don’t need to know that.” 

Her voice had suddenly become as smooth and soothing as a gently flowing river. But there was subtle strength in its waters, its power of suggestion sweeping the recipient along and carrying them to a single destination. Her will triumphed quietly and without struggle, for this target was not a difficult one. 

“I…don’t need to know that,” the trooper replied, his posture relaxing. 

“But you will check our cargo hold to ensure the authenticity of its contents,” Rey added as her companions stared at her in awe. 

“But I will check your cargo hold to ensure the authenticity of its contents,” he repeated, motioning to the other trooper. “Follow me.” 

They moved past the rebels and marched toward the freighter, a satisfied smirk spreading across her face as she watched them go. 

Rose was stunned. “Wow. How did you—?”

“Just a little trick I picked up along the way,” she grinned before glancing at Finn. “You know what to do.” 

He nodded. “May the Force be with you.” 

Together, he and Rose led four of the rebels back to the freighter, where they would inevitably claim two disguises from the unsuspecting troopers, and Rey took the remaining three soldiers with her. As she approached the western inner doors of the hangar, they unexpectedly slid open, and she stopped. Bracing herself for an incoming attack, her hand drifted toward the back of her belt.

But the man who stepped through the parting doors was none other than Jaq Solborne, the miner who had offered to help them infiltrate the station. His worker’s uniform was simple and gray, with a black vest and boots and a blaster pistol strapped to his hip. He patted the weapon affectionately as he followed Rey’s curious gaze.

“Plucked this off the officer that was monitoring the docking computers,” he explained with a proud smirk. “Figured it would come in handy.” 

“Your accent wasn’t half bad,” she replied, smiling briefly before returning her focus to the task at hand. “Are the others ready to fight?”

“As ready as they can be. We should start making our way to the western barracks. It won’t be long before the other guards notice that their comrades stopped checking in.” 

“Agreed,” she nodded firmly, glancing around at her fellow rebels. “Come on. Let’s remind the First Order that we refuse to be their slaves.” 

**********

Corridor after corridor passed them by, sleek and black and interspersed with columns of white unblinking lights. Jaq led them quickly and with confidence, for he knew the facility well, and every guard they encountered on their way to the barracks was dispatched with ease. No alarms were sounded, and they remained completely undetected. 

“Almost there,” he murmured, gripping his blaster a little tighter. “There will be two troopers stationed in front of the door. We should take them both out at once.”

Rey nodded and drew her own pistol from its holster as Solborne pressed his back against the wall and then peered around the corner. She crept up beside him and did the same, seeing suits of polished armor gleaming under the harsh, sterile lights embedded in the ceiling panels. The two rebels exchanged a glance before silently aiming their blasters, both of which were set to stun, and they fired in unison. 

Blue crackling bolts zipped through the air and collided with their targets. The guards crumpled to the floor, incapacitated, and Jaq emerged from his concealment. Holstering his blaster, he jogged to the side of the nearest fallen trooper and dropped to his knees. Realizing that he was rummaging through the soldier’s supply belt, Rey could only assume that he was searching for a means to enter the barracks. 

“Gotcha!” the miner muttered triumphantly, standing. 

He had successfully located a small access card, and she watched as he quickly moved to the access panel beside the door and inserted it. There was a small beep and a click, and then the door slid open. Stepping back, Jaq smiled at her, motioning proudly with his hand. 

“After you.”

Inside the room beyond, there were ten rows of bunks, each row containing five beds with five more stacked on top of them. Dim white lights lined the walls, faintly illuminating the frightened faces of men, women, and children—all of whom were staring at Rey as if she were a ghost. 

“Don’t be afraid,” she said kindly but firmly. “The guards have been taken care of. The plan is in motion. It’s time to take back this station.” 

To her surprise, a little girl timidly emerged from the shadows, gazing up at her in awe. “Y-you’re the Jedi. You’re Rey?”

Swallowing, she nodded. “Yes, I am.”

“You’ve come to save us?”

Moved by the hopeful light that shone in the child’s eyes, Rey knelt and looked into her face. “I’ve come to help, yes, but all of you must work together to take back what the First Order stole from you. Be brave, fight for what you love, and you too can be free.” 

The miners were rising and gathering around her, the rebel soldiers standing faithfully at her back. Even after all these months, she still had not grown accustomed to the way people looked at her, a scavenger from Jakku. 

“The armory is not far from here,” Solborne interjected, approaching them. “We can meet the others there and prepare for the next step.” Pausing, he glanced down at her. “Have you heard from your friends?”

Rey shook her head. “No. I’ll contact Finn and check on their progress.” 

Standing, she exited the barracks alone and left the others to discuss further details. Then she slipped her comlink from her belt, activated it, and raised it to her mouth. “Finn, are you there?”

There was a brief pause, then the buzz of static. “Reading you loud and clear.” 

She breathed a small sigh of relief. “Have you reached the eastern barracks?”

“Approaching them now.” 

“All right. We’re about to escort any miners who are able to fight to the armory. Meet us there as soon as you can, and then we can take the rest of the station.”  


“Got it. See you soon.” 

The line was disconnected, and Rey hooked the comlink back to her belt. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and called upon the Force. Its soothing presence washed over her, centering her spirit and focusing her mind for the battle to come. Everything was going according to plan. They just needed to keep moving forward, one step at a time. 

**********

Some of the men and women stayed behind with the children in the barracks, but the vast majority of them went on to the armory, where they were equipped with blasters, grenades, and every other weapon they could get their hands on. It was not long before Finn and Rose arrived with the rest of the rebel soldiers and fifty more miners, and they did what they could to briefly explain the basics of combat, for most of the workers had never once held a blaster. 

But time was of the essence, and they feared that the stunned guards would soon awaken and sound the alarm. Thus, they departed and headed north the moment that everyone was armed and ready. Moving with steadily increasing speed, Rey found herself breaking into a light jog, and the rest of her comrades followed suit. She dreaded losing the element of surprise, but there was something else…something she could not quite place. It caused a strange uneasiness in the pit of her stomach, almost like a warning, and she became unable to shake the feeling that something very terrible was about to happen. 

Rounding yet another corner, Rey came face to face with two more stormtroopers, who she instinctively Force-pushed nearly seven meters through the air. They landed with a crash and were subsequently incapacitated by bolts fired from Finn’s and Rose’s blasters. Then they resumed running, Rey’s heart beating faster and faster. Her blood was pumping wildly, her breaths short and rapid. What had come over her? 

At the end of the corridor was a large, wide door, and she Force-activated the access panel without so much as breaking her stride. Racing through the opening, she realized all too late that it had immediately closed behind her. The others had not made it through. 

But suddenly and quite unexpectedly, all thoughts of the current mission were driven from her mind. Her chest heaved, sweat beading on her temple. Her eyes were wide and unable to process what they were seeing, for a tall, dark figure stood directly across from her. She had known, deep down. She had known ever since they landed on the station. But an unnatural shadow had clouded her vision, dulling her senses and causing her to question the clarity of her own mind—of her own feelings. 

Now she understood, and the crippling pain she experienced upon seeing him again was almost more than she could bear. He was real. He was here. Flesh and blood. Not some phantom drifting along the edges of her consciousness, begging to be let in.  


Black locks fell around piercing eyes that set her heart aflutter even when she wanted to hate him, the folds of his cape rippling as his powerful frame swayed ever so slightly—back and forth. Every insult, every cruel word she had longed to scream at him died upon her lips, and Rey found that she was unable to break her silence. Instead, she continued to match his gaze with her own, for she detected no hatred, no bloodlust radiating from within him. There was only sorrow and regret.

So intense was his grief, so heavy was the guilt weighing down on him, that it crushed the breath from her lungs. A sharp exhale escaped her, her hand instinctively flying to her chest as she gasped for air.

“Rey? Rey!”

Finn’s frantic voice crackled from her comlink, startling her back to the present, and she snatched it from her belt. 

“Finn, it’s a trap! They knew we were coming. Get out of here while you still can!”

“We’re not leaving you behind!”

“Go!” she repeated sternly. “Get as many people onto shuttles as you can and _get out of here!_ ”

He continued to protest, but she switched off her comlink and hooked it back onto her belt. Then, slowly, she met the despondent eyes of Ben Solo. 

“Is it true?” he asked simply, searching her face.

“Have you come all this way just to ask me that?” Rey retorted with as much anger as she could muster. “Surely you felt it.” 

“I did.” His eyes were downcast, his gloved hands clenching into fists. “But I had to know for certain.”

He was mourning. His shoulders sagged. He looked as if he had not slept in days—perhaps weeks. The crease between her furrowed brows softened.

“Was it peaceful?”

“Yes.” She hesitated, then swallowed. “I was with her.” 

He raised his head and looked at her, his lip trembling for half an instant before he stubbornly set his jaw. His gaze hardened, and suddenly, he was the man she had seen in Snoke’s throne room.

“You know I can’t let you go.” 

“Have you come to kill me?” Rey asked quietly. “Is that it?” 

He shook his head, his cold exterior faltering. “No. But the war must end. The Rebellion must end.” 

Her eyes burned with unshed tears. “I won’t let you destroy them.” 

He sighed wearily, and his voice brimmed with frustration as he took a step toward her. “As we speak, my men are sealing the hangar doors. There will be no escape for you or your rebel friends. They will be captured and executed.” He paused and swallowed, his eyes silently pleading with her. “But you don’t have to share their fate.” 

With a heavy heart, she reached for the back of her belt and grasped a long, metallic hilt. “I don’t want to fight you, Ben.”

His eyes tracked the movement of her hand, his lips forming a tight line. “Then don’t.”

“You’ve left me no choice.” 

“Sir! We’ve trapped them in the hangar!”

The muffled but triumphant voice of a stormtrooper coming from Ben’s comlink sparked a fire in the pit of Rey’s stomach, and she drew her lightsaber.

“Get out of my way, Ben! I won’t ask again!”

Still, he refused to move, and she angrily gritted her teeth. Two blue blades sprang to life, pulsing and humming with a dangerous, fractured energy. Resigned, he activated his own weapon, the crossguard saber igniting and bathing the room in flickering scarlet light. Rey’s throat constricted painfully, and for a long moment, she could not bring herself to strike at him. He too remained perfectly still, his blade lowered and hanging uselessly at his side. 

Her fingers shifted restlessly, curling on and off the hilt as an internal struggle raged inside her. She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t. But Finn and Rose and the rest of her comrades were counting on her! The Rebellion was counting on her! 

_BOOM!_

Caught off guard, Rey staggered as the floor rocked beneath her. She glanced up at Ben with wide eyes but was surprised to discover that he was just as bewildered as she was. 

“What was that?”

He said nothing in reply, his faraway gaze betraying his racing thoughts as sirens began to wail. Emergency lights flashed overhead, causing the room to alternate between states of severe red and total darkness. 

“Hux,” Ben said finally, realization dawning on him. 

_BOOM!_

A white blinding flash filled Rey’s vision, and then she was flying through open air. She felt the lightsaber slip from her fingers, screamed as searing pain tore through every fiber of her being. Her head struck something solid and metal, and then she saw no more.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you SO MUCH for the kudos, comments, and bookmarks, everyone! Your wonderful feedback and support is what encourages me to keep writing this story.

Ben’s eyes snapped open. Immediately, he was bombarded by a relentless pounding inside his head, and he grimaced as the sirens continued to scream. He was on his back, staring up at a fractured ceiling. Smoke curled above him. 

“Rey,” he breathed suddenly, bolting upright. 

A sharp stab of pain pierced his skull, causing him to regret his abrupt movement. Blinking forcefully in an attempt to clear his vision, Ben saw flames licking along the floor and climbing the walls. Part of the room had caved in and blocked the door to the hangar, chunks of rock and shards of metal scattered in every direction. Amidst the debris lay an unmoving, half-buried figure, and his heart lurched inside his chest as he scrambled to his feet.

Tearing through the wreckage and tossing aside everything that prevented him from reaching her, he fought to keep his balance, the entire station groaning and quaking under the duress of relentless orbital bombardment. The Adamus facility’s structure was doubly reinforced to endure the regular and often extreme pressure exerted by the mining vessels and other machinery, but the shell of rock encasing it was not so durable. It was only a matter of time before it was breached deeply enough to ignite the volatile oils that ran through its cavernous veins, and when that happened, the resulting explosion would not only annihilate the station and everyone on it, but its shockwaves would start a chain reaction that would reach the farthest edges of the asteroid field. He needed to get out of here—and fast. 

Rey’s cheeks were smeared with dust and dirt, and wet, sticky blood coated the fingers of his glove as they grazed her right temple. But she was alive. He could hear her heart beating, feel it inside his chest as if it were his own. A relieved exhale escaped his lips as he leaned further down, slipping one arm beneath her shoulders and the other under her legs. Then he stood, gathering her to himself and ensuring that her head was cradled securely against his left shoulder. 

Both her lightsaber and his had been thrown far from their hands when the first blast came, but Ben recovered both of them and hooked them onto his belt before approaching the northern door, which had been sealed shut in accordance with emergency procedure. Luckily, its access panel remained intact, so he was able to enter the code to manually override the lockdown. 

Advancing as swiftly as he could manage through the labyrinth of corridors that lay beyond, he was unable to keep himself from glancing down at Rey’s serene features every so often. It had been so long since he had last held her in his arms, and everything had changed since then. Everything and yet…nothing at all. They still stood on opposite sides of the war. There was still no peace in the galaxy, and he was beginning to wonder if there ever would be. As a result, he never had the luxury of seeing her like this, and he was going to savor every second of it. 

Occasionally, he encountered fleeing First Order officers, administrators, and even stormtroopers, but most of them never took any notice of him or the woman he carried. They were heading for the escape pods, and so was he. Ben knew there would not be enough of the small vessels to bear them all to safety, but he was prepared to do whatever was necessary to get Rey into one of those pods. 

**********

When he finally reached the launch bay, he found the entrance blocked by a frantic and panicking crowd. Wildly, they clamored and pushed and shoved and desperately clawed their way toward the pods, whose numbers were rapidly diminishing. Gritting his teeth, Ben waded into the midst of them. Jostled to and fro by their blind madness, he did his best to shield Rey from the worst of it, but a sharp blow from behind suddenly sent him to his knees. 

All he saw was white, and he nearly lost his grip on her. Bodies slammed into him from every side, nearly trampling both of them, but Ben sensed that there was a far more immediate threat looming. 

“You! You brought this upon us! This was your doing!”

The man’s voice was filled with fury, every other sound fading away as Ben focused only on him. He heard the blaster slide from its holster, the click as the safety was switched off and a finger reached for the trigger. Anger flared inside him, the Force swirling around him like a violent storm. 

The blaster fired, but the momentum of its projectile immediately came to a screeching halt. It hovered between Ben and his attacker, red and pulsing and crackling. He remained on his knees, Rey still in his arms, and without moving a single muscle, he reversed the bolt’s direction and sent it straight through his enemy’s chest. Only a burning hole was left in its wake, and he heard a dull thud as the man’s lifeless body dropped onto the floor, his blaster clanking and spinning across the polished black surface. 

Slowly, Ben stood, and as he raised his bowed head, he saw that the crowd was parting around him. Many of the onlookers who had witnessed the incident were cowering in fear, for they had now realized that the Supreme Leader himself was among them. Breathing heavily, he moved toward the last remaining escape pod as the others jettisoned into space. 

“Get out of my way,” he growled, and all in his path shrank back from him. 

Opening the hatch, Ben entered the pod and then closed and sealed it behind him. Gently, he lowered Rey into one of the passenger seats and buckled her in. Then he stepped over to the pilot’s chair, sat down, and activated the launch sequence. The pod roared to life and shot from its station as if it had been fired from a cannon. 

Jolting forward, Ben braced himself against the console, and when he glanced up a moment later, he saw a field of flame and debris. Escape pods were being blasted apart, pieces of them slamming against the viewport. The pod shuddered, and he fought to keep it steady. Large green bolts flashed before his eyes, and he looked to his left. 

There, floating amidst the void of space, was the _Finalizer_. Its relentless bombardment of the station continued while its lighter artillery assailed the fleeing pods. Hatred and resentment swelled inside him at the sight of it. So it was true. Hux had finally decided to play his hand. 

Gripping the controls even tighter than before, Ben clenched his teeth and focused all of his attention on surviving. They were hurtling toward imminent planetfall, the scarred surface of Adamus swelling until it filled the entire viewport. 

When they broke through the atmosphere, the pod trembled violently, the controls growing hot. Sweat beaded on his forehead, the muscles in his arms straining. Before them, there was nothing but white, an immaculate blanket of snow that would not remain so for much longer. 

“Hold on, Rey,” he muttered. “This is going to be a rough landing.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the continued support, everyone! This one's an angsty chapter...please don't hate me!! *hides behind Chewbacca*

The moment Rey’s eyes opened, she immediately closed them again. Her head felt like it was going to split open. Reaching up, she lightly pressed her fingers to her right temple and felt a dry, crusty substance. Where was she? What had happened after she lost consciousness? The last thing she remembered was… _Ben._

Her eyes flew open again, a wave of nausea rolling over her as she lurched against two thick straps that formed an X over her chest. Breathing hard, Rey squinted and blinked several times, struggling to take in her blurry surroundings. An identical chair directly across from hers. Another to her right, situated in front of a damaged console. The space itself was small and oddly shaped, with what appeared to be an exit hatch to her left. 

_An escape pod,_ she realized. Grimacing, she managed to unbuckle the straps, and she slumped forward with a yelp. One hand instinctively flew to her ribs, where a sharp, searing pain had suddenly stabbed her. Several excruciating seconds passed, during which she focused entirely on drawing slow, even breaths. 

Finally, when the worst of it had subsided, Rey shifted her gaze to the viewport. But she could see nothing out of it. Something solid and gray had obscured it completely. 

_Hiss._

She spun to her left, simultaneously crying out and clutching her ribs with one hand while the other flew to her belt. But her lightsaber was gone. 

The hatch had opened, and Ben was forced to duck as he entered the cramped pod. A chilling wind rushed in behind him, causing Rey to shiver, and a light dusting of snowflakes scattered along the durasteel floor. The hatch closed with another hiss, and she found herself staring up into his deep brown eyes.

“What happened?” she demanded, fearing his answer.

“The station was destroyed,” he answered with little emotion in his voice, “but I managed to get us onto this pod before it blew.”

Her heart plummeted. “Destroyed?”

He said nothing in reply, watching her closely as she processed his words. 

“The ships in the hangar—did they escape? Did you see if—?”

“Every escape pod was launched,” he interrupted, failing to conceal a flicker of disapproval in his eyes. “We took the last one.” 

“That isn’t what I asked.”

“I don’t know what happened to your rebel friends.” He spat the last two words as if they disgusted him, and he clearly had no interest in discussing them further. 

Fighting to swallow the anger that was steadily rising within her, Rey averted her gaze and took a breath. “So where are we now?”

“Adamus. We crashed here along with the rest of the pods that made it through.”

She glanced up at him, her brow furrowing. “What do you mean? Who fired on the station?”

His lip curled, his eyes downcast, and he seemed reluctant to respond. “It was the _Finalizer_ —General Hux’s ship.” 

She blinked, stunned. “The First Order? You mean…your own men fired on the station—fired on you?”

He shifted irritably and clenched his jaw, refusing to look at her.

“Ben…”

She tried to stand, but her attempt ended in miserable failure. With a cry of both pain and frustration, Rey collapsed back into her chair, and he instinctively moved to her aide. Kneeling, he extended a hand but quickly thought better of it. He swallowed, drawing it back to his side and balling it into a fist. 

“There’s a medpac in the—”

“I’m fine!” she growled through gritted teeth. 

Ben smirked, a knowing look in his eyes, but he did not press her further. Instead, he reached down and unhooked something from his belt. “You dropped this.”

Her lips parted in surprise as he offered her the gleaming hilt of her lightsaber. Embarrassed and grateful all at once, Rey hesitantly took hold of it, and both of their hands lingered for a moment. Her eyes silently pleaded with his. 

“Ben, come with me,” she said softly. “Leave the First Order behind.”

“And what of the Resistance?” he countered. “Would you abandon them?”

She gave an exasperated sigh and stubbornly shook her head. “That’s different. We trust each other—support each other. They would never turn their backs on me as the First Order has turned its back on you.”

Ben raised an eyebrow. “Wouldn’t they? If they knew?”

She swallowed, her throat suddenly constricting. He was, of course, referring to their mysterious bond. Even after all that had happened—on the _Supremacy_ , on Crait—it had never gone away. No matter how many times she tried to ignore it, tried to pretend that it was not there, she could always feel his presence gnawing away at her resolve. How long could she hide it? How long before her carefully concealed secret was dragged into the light? 

The pod shuddered as something rumbled overhead and then became still again. Rey knew that sound all too well, and hope flickered inside her. Had Finn and Rose and the others finally come back for her? 

Ben’s eyes widened ever so slightly, his hand jerking away from the lightsaber as if it had burned him. He stood suddenly, his brow furrowing. 

“Stay here,” he ordered as he turned and moved swiftly toward the hatch. 

“What?” she exclaimed incredulously, struggling to rise. “No!”

Every fiber in her body was screaming for her to stop, to sit. But she refused. 

“Ben!”  
He was already ducking and stepping through the opening, and by the time Rey managed to get herself upright, the hatch had closed again. Catching herself against the interior of the pod, she gritted her teeth and used her left arm to drag herself forward. Just a little farther…

She nearly collapsed when she was forced to let go of the wall and reach for the access panel. Thrusting out her palm, she breathed a small sigh of relief as it slammed into the desired button and activated the hatch once more. Loose strands of hair whipped across her cheeks, a chill running through her. More snow blew into the pod, and Rey shielded her face with one hand as she ventured out into the blinding sunlight. 

Above the howling of the wind, there rose something else. Muffled shouts. Blaster fire. A lightsaber. 

Squinting through the gaps between her fingers, she saw the glistening armor of stormtroopers—two squads of them. Some had already fallen, lying motionlessly in the snow as a dark figure loomed over them. Ben’s black cape was flying, his red blade flashing. More troopers dropped as their shots were deflected back into their own chests. One was lifted off his feet in an invisible chokehold and dragged through the air until he was within reach, then cut down. 

Meanwhile, Rey was wading through the almost knee-deep layers of snow, thousands of tiny pinpricks piercing her sides as she went. A First Order Transporter sat nearby, and she feared that more might be on the way. 

Catching sight of a sudden movement on the ground ahead, she stopped and snatched her lightsaber from her belt. It seemed that one of Ben’s dispatched opponents was still alive, and he was reaching for his blaster. 

“Ben!” she warned, igniting her twin blades and flinging them through the air. 

Having just slain who he thought was the last trooper, Ben whirled around just in time to see her double-bladed saber slice the helmet off of one who was about to shoot him in the back. Breathing hard, he stared as the weapon returned to her waiting hand. 

“You’re welcome!” she called.

He opened his mouth to reply but promptly shut it again when he spotted another incoming carrier, whose blaster cannon opened fire as it flew overhead. Two bolts pounded the snow between them, a third heading straight for him. There was no time to stop its momentum. It was too close. 

Thrusting out a hand, Ben managed to alter its course slightly to the right, where it collided with the ground and sent a cloud of white dust into the air. With a flourish of his lightsaber, he turned to face the transport as it made an about-face and landed some fifteen meters away. 

But he was not alone. A now familiar presence drew alongside him. Suppressing a smile, he glanced at Rey, but her narrowed gaze was focused on the lowering disembarkation ramp. 

“This feels familiar.”

She shifted, unwilling to meet his gaze. “Don’t get used to it.” 

Moments later, they were met with a barrage of blaster fire, and Ben aggressively charged toward the advancing troops. She followed closely in his wake, but her movements were slowed by her injuries. Several of their opponents were equipped with Z6 batons, and Rey could feel the electricity pulsing and crackling as they approached. 

Ben’s blade crashed against one of them, sweeping the weapon downward and then promptly decapitating its wielder. Meanwhile, she dropped into a crouching slide, passing between two troopers and slicing both of their batons in half. Coming up behind them, she sent the soldiers flying with a powerful Force push. 

“Rey!”

She did not need to ask why he called to her. She already knew. They were working in perfect sync, every thought, every intent freely exchanged between their melded minds. 

She drew close, standing back to back with him as he reached skyward. Simultaneously, Rey shifted her saber to her left hand and grabbed the blaster pistol that was strapped to her right hip. For a fleeting moment, all atoms in the surrounding area thrummed with a vibration only they could hear, and then a deafening wave rippled outward. Every stormtrooper was lifted off their feet, blasters and batons torn from their grasp.

Rey held her breath, her gaze focusing and her hand steadying. She fired. One, two, three, four, five! Ben lowered his hand, and the bodies hit the snow. Five of them moved no more. 

Holstering her blaster, she returned both hands to her saber. The remaining stormtroopers were dazed, disoriented, and defenseless. They posed no true threat now, but they had their orders, and they refused to abandon them. When Rey realized that those who still lived were crawling toward their fallen weapons, she clenched her jaw in frustration. They needed to finish this fight quickly, before their attackers could recover. 

She shared a glance with Ben, and he gave her an understanding nod. Gathering what little strength she had left, she rushed toward the troopers, and when she jumped, he Force-launched her into the air. A savage cry roared from her throat as she descended upon them, her blades carving through them so quickly that she became a blur dancing across the white battlefield. 

While she moved right, Ben went left, and it was not long before it was just the two of them standing alone amidst a barren wasteland. Smoke rose from the other crashed escape pods against a bleak horizon, flaming meteors falling from the decimated asteroid field and cutting across the sky. 

Rey watched them burn, having collapsed onto her knees moments after the fight ended. Her adrenaline was ebbing away, and a new tide of pain was rolling in. Each intake of breath felt like her ribcage was being stabbed by more than a few vibroblades, and the rest of her was starting to ache from the cold. She shivered, the involuntary movement causing her to wince. 

When she opened her eyes again, Ben was standing there, his gloved hand offered down to her. Grimacing, Rey managed to reach up and grasp it. As he pulled her to her feet, she clenched her teeth to keep from crying out. Her legs nearly buckled, and she caught herself against his chest. 

Breathing hard, Rey stared at the backs of her own fingers, pressed into the black fabric of his tunic. She could not bring herself to look up, could not withstand the intensity of his gaze. But she was not given a choice in the matter. Gently, he lifted her chin and tilted her face toward his. She saw his lips, his scar, and finally his eyes—those dark eyes that were desperately searching every inch of her countenance. She could feel his heart pounding, could sense the paralyzing fear that was clawing at his insides. 

“What’s wrong, Ben?” she inquired softly. 

He swallowed hard, his gaze unblinking, as if he believed that she might vanish at any moment. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen you—really seen you. And now…”

“What?” she pressed, her voice barely a whisper. 

He released a slow, shuddering breath, his hand moving from beneath her chin and coming to rest upon her shoulder. “This might be the last time I ever see you.”

Rey’s brow furrowed instantly, and she frowned. “What? Ben, what are you talking about?”

“Hux commands the loyalty of only a fraction of the First Order’s ranks. His attempt at a coup has failed, and now I must return. He must be dealt with.”

“No,” she pleaded, her hands unconsciously clutching his tunic. “Ben, come with me. We can fight him together.”

He shook his head. “Don’t be foolish, Rey. You know that the rebels would shoot me as soon as they saw me, just as you once did.” 

Guilt and longing stabbed painfully into her heart all at once, and she refused to let him go. “I don’t care. I don’t care what anyone else thinks. I’ll show them. I’ll prove to them that you’ve changed!”

“But I haven’t changed, Rey. You’re imagining a future that can’t exist—not while there is a war. You have chosen your side, as I have chosen mine.” 

“You’re wrong!” she spat. “There is a future! I saw it, and I know you saw it too. We _will_ be together.”

He glanced away from her, his jaw clenching. She could feel his torment just as he could feel hers, the agony tearing both of their hearts asunder. 

“Goodbye, Rey.”

He let go of her, but she clung to him, her eyes wide and frantic. “No. No! Don’t leave me—not again.”

There was profound sorrow in his gaze, and the echo of an unforgotten betrayal. “I didn’t, Rey. You’re the one who left.”

Blinded by tears, she choked back a sob. “Ben…please…”

He wavered for an instant, his lip trembling. But then he pulled away and turned his back on her before he could change his mind. He headed for the nearest transport, a single tear sliding down his scarred cheek. And he did not look back.


	4. Chapter 4

_“No! Don’t leave me—not again.”_

His eyes closed tighter, gloved fingers clenching around the hilt of his lightsaber as it lay in his lap. 

_“Ben…please…”_

Her grieving voice still haunted him, refusing to leave him alone in his darkness. Many lightyears lay between them now, but her call—the light’s call—only grew louder and more persistent. 

_Ben._

Snoke had not allowed anyone to speak that name for so long, but now it fell from her lips so naturally. It felt so familiar—so right—and even though he had convinced himself that he despised it, he could not bring himself to stop her. 

His eyes snapped open. A presence he recognized had arrived on the planet. All thoughts of Rey were temporarily driven from his mind as he watched a heavily modified TIE Interceptor descend through the gray clouds of Mustafar. It appeared that his message had been received after all. 

Rising, Ben silently tracked the small fighter as it approached the obsidian tower. Through the wide viewport that stretched nearly half the length of the vast chamber in which he stood, he could see much of the planet’s surface, which was nothing short of a hellscape. Death had seeped into the bones of this place and taken hold. Dark currents stemmed from its tainted core, corrupting the land and poisoning the air. Black jagged peaks pierced the thick haze that hung over rivers of molten lava, their sulfuric streams reeking of misery and despair. 

Mustafar was a nexus of dark side energy, and its power was most heavily concentrated in an ancient cave deep beneath the tower. Long ago, it was buried below a Sith temple, but now, only Darth Vader’s abandoned castle remained. Many years had passed since he first set foot in this place with Snoke and the Knights of Ren. So much had changed. 

Everything had.

Soon, the smaller door on his right hissed open, and he turned. A tall, slender figure stepped through the void-like opening, wearing a long, asymmetrical black coat, boots, and a helmet whose shape was similar to the one he had once worn. But the faceplate was gold and divided into five columns of metallic squares, a narrow visor curving along the top row. The mask concealed a face he knew all too well, and his lips curved into a slight smile. 

“Valdis.”

The helmet clicked and disengaged, two gloved hands reaching up and lifting it from a head full of thick black hair that was loosely tied back from the angular face of a woman.   
“Kylo.”

“It’s been a long time.”

She sighed indifferently and propped the mask against her hip. “Surely you didn’t summon me here to exchange pleasantries, Kylo? I was quite busy, you know, carrying out the orders you gave me.” Her eyes were like black marbles, glittering in the semidarkness. “I hear there is dissent within the ranks of the First Order, from your highest ranking general, no less.”

“And so you’ve come.” His smile had vanished in an instant, his expression flattening and hardening into a cold, blank slate. “Am I to assume that you have decided where your true loyalties lie?”

Valdis stared at him for a long moment. Blinked once. Then an incredulous laugh burst from her chest. “Is this a poor attempt at a joke? I mean, are you actually being serious? I don’t know whether or not I should be offended.” 

His silent glare was the only response she received, and her lips pressed into a stern line, her eyes narrowing into dangerous slits. 

“Hux is a fool,” she snarled. “He schemes and connives and strikes from the shadows, but he is weak. He chases after power like a salivating dog, but he is not worthy of it. He knows nothing of the Force, cares for nothing beyond what he can see. He is as blind as he is useless.”

Appeased, Ben inclined his head in agreement. “And that is why he must be destroyed.” 

“The others will come,” she concurred, “and when they do, we all will stand ready to do your bidding. You are the only one who is deserving of our loyalty. You are the only one who proved strong enough to slay Snoke.” 

“But that must remain secret,” he responded firmly. “No one can know. Many would question the legitimacy of my rule. More would swear allegiance to Hux.”

“Of course, Supreme Leader.”

He turned and faced the dark horizon once more.

“If I may ask,” Valdis inquired with a hesitancy she had not previously expressed, “how did Hux manage to catch you so off guard?” 

Ben clenched his jaw and did not meet her gaze. A burning sensation passed through his chest. 

“A moment of weakness,” he answered quietly. “It won’t happen again.” 

**********

Energy crackled around him, tingling in the tips of his fingers and all the way down to his toes. The air hummed and vibrated against his damp skin, his clothes clinging uncomfortably to his body and his long black cape trailing behind him as he entered the inner chamber of the Force cave beneath the castle. The heat emanating from this place was so intense, so stifling, that it was almost difficult to draw breath. But he had come here seeking answers, and he was not going to leave without them. 

Carved out walls with strange markings arched high above his head, veins of magma glowing deep within their crevices. At the far end of the narrow passage was a large, circular rock whose surface was flat and smooth—a meditation stone. Stepping slowly around its curved edge, Ben moved to the front of the stone, which faced another wall that was covered with more illegible markings. Slowly, he lowered himself onto it and scooted back until he was situated at its center. Then he crossed his legs and closed his eyes, hands gripping his knees as he inhaled deeply. 

Clearing his mind, Ben consciously slowed his breathing and sharpened his focus. Silence reigned, the corporeal world giving way to the all-consuming presence of the Force. The dark side was strong here, raw and powerful and calling to his most deeply held desires. It offered answers, answers to questions he could not answer on his own, but there was also…something else. A voice. 

It was faint at first, indistinguishable. But then it grew louder, booming inside his head and pounding against his skull. It rumbled and crashed like savage thunder, ruthless and dripping with sadistic cruelty.

_‘Have you seen something? A weakness in my apprentice? Is that why you came? Young fool. It was I who bridged your minds. I stoked Ren’s conflicted soul. I knew he was not strong enough to hide it from you, and you were not wise enough to resist the bait.’_

_No. He knew this moment._

_‘And now, you will give me Skywalker. And then I will kill you with the cruelest stroke!’_

_No! He sprang to his feet and wheeled around, but he was too late. Her broken and bloodied body lay on the ground behind him, her soft brown eyes wide and frantic, her violently trembling fingers desperately reaching for him._

_“Rey!”_

_Six red blades ignited and prevented him from reaching her, malicious laughter echoing just over his shoulder. He turned again, this time finding himself face to face with General Hux._

_“The girl is dead,” he gloated with an insufferable sneer. “The Resistance is dead. All thanks to you.”_

_Chest heaving, Ben glanced down and saw the smoking blaster in the other man’s hand. He could not move. The soles of his boots were fixed to the floor. He met Hux’s merciless gaze as the weapon was raised and aimed at his forehead. There was a blinding red flash, and he saw no more._

Gasping for air, Ben came back to himself. He had fallen off the rock and was now lying beside it, fingers pressed to the solid stone. Rey…the vision…it was not real. Not yet. 

Shifting, he rested his back against the rock and heaved a weary sigh. Of course—the cave had preyed upon his fear. It had given him no answers, no guidance. It had not told him what to do next, how to rule the galaxy, or how to fill the void inside him that only seemed to be growing larger. 

But the vision—could it be true? Could it be what would come to pass if he remained on his current path? Could Rey…? 

He swallowed hard and shut his eyes, realizing what his subconscious had known all along. He could not destroy her. He could never destroy her. Could not do so much as raise a hand against her. But he was the Supreme Leader. He had no choice in the matter. 

Or did he?

He was subject to the authority of none. Snoke was gone. He was no longer under his reign of terror and relentless manipulation. The First Order could change. It did not belong to Snoke—not anymore. 

And Leia…

Ben’s breath hitched as a sudden wave of grief threatened to overcome him, the same grief that had caused him to make the reckless journey to Adamus. He had never told her. Never told her how much he truly loved her. He had never repented, had never asked for her forgiveness after killing his own father—her husband. 

And yet, when he had felt her presence after all those years, he had sensed no hatred or resentment. Only love. And sorrow. He had caused her untold pain and suffering, but she had never stopped caring for him even then. 

He wondered if she had finally given up on him in the end.

Silent tears rolled down his cheeks, and Ben slumped forward, burying his face in his hands. It was too late. Too late. The past could not be changed, and they were all gone now. All of them. His father, his uncle, his mother…

He was the last of their bloodline, the last of their legacy. A failed Jedi. A failed heir. A failed son. 

The last Skywalker.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 5 is here! Please remember to leave a review and let me know if you enjoyed it! The wonderful feedback I have already received from you all really does help keep me writing this story:)

Peace. Serenity. Harmony.

They wrapped their soothing arms around her as she floated, weightless and mercifully removed from the rest of the world. There was only warmth, the pleasant heat of the bacta tank seeping into her bones and alleviating the pain that had nearly rendered her immobile by the time she was able to rendezvous with the Rebellion. Now, Adamus was far behind her. The danger had passed…for now. 

Breathe, Rey reminded herself, inhaling deeply through the oxygen mask that covered her mouth and nose. She did not know how long she had been here, alone and surrounded by silence, but it was a welcome change. Had it been minutes? Hours? Whatever it had been, she felt much better for it. 

But the time for relaxation and recovery had come to an end. The rebels would have many questions for her, especially Finn and Poe. And she dreaded answering them. 

_Ben…_

She could not tell them. They could never know. How she escaped from the station had to remain a secret. Her list of lies was growing, and with it, her burden of guilt. She was a Jedi. She was supposed to be better than this. 

And yet…she was not. 

**********

After emerging from the bacta tank, exiting the medbay, and returning to her own personal quarters on the MC85 Star Cruiser known as the Resurgence, Rey took her time freshening up. She was in no hurry to be interrogated. Discarding the simple white robe she had worn in order to preserve her modesty whilst traveling from one area of the ship to another, she pulled on a pair of gray pants and her sleeveless, knee-length black tunic, which was divided into two sections—front and back—and left the sides of her legs exposed. Next, she draped her long gray sash over her right shoulder and secured it at her waist with both a black obi and a pair of brown leather belts. Strips of faded beige fabric were wrapped tightly around her arms, a solid leather piece of armor fastened to her left shoulder and another braced around her forearm. 

Lastly, she tucked her pants into well worn boots and stood, taking a deep breath and attempting to quiet her racing thoughts. She briskly combed her fingers through her dark, shoulder-length hair, gathered up the top section, and tied it back from her face. Then, after a brief glance at her reflection, she left her quarters and headed for the main hold. 

When she arrived, Rey found it far more crowded than she had expected. Many miners had managed to escape the destruction of the facility and were now seeking refuge with the Rebellion. Some were debating what to do next. Some simply embraced each other and cried, mourning those they had lost. Others stared blankly into space. 

But they were not the strangers who caught her attention and held it. Near the center of the crowded room, she spotted a small group of men and women wearing white polished armor—stormtrooper armor. Her muscles instinctively tensed, her teeth clenching, but then Rey realized something extraordinary. Their helmets were removed. She could see their faces, and they were smiling as they spoke with Finn, whose eyes were alight with hope. 

“Rey!”

She turned at the sound of a familiar voice and saw a man not much taller than she making his way toward her. 

“It’s good to see you up and about,” Poe grinned broadly. 

She forced a smile in return, though she knew what was coming. “Yes, I’m feeling much better now.” 

“Let me get Finn and Rose, and then we can talk somewhere away from all this noise.”

Rey nodded, and he disappeared into the crowd once more. In the moments that followed, she silently rehearsed her story, the tall tale she had decided to tell. Then he was back with both of her friends, and she followed them into a small conference room that was located just off of the main hold. The door slid shut behind her, and she suddenly felt trapped. 

“How are you feeling, Rey?” asked Finn, leaning forward onto the circular table that stood between them. 

“Much better now that I’m back on the Resurgence,” she repeated, as if she were trying to convince herself of the sincerity of her words. 

“When you first arrived, you said something about the First Order following you down to the planet’s surface?” Rose’s face was scrunched up in a mixture of curiosity and concern.

“Yes,” Poe seconded, “and Finn said you didn’t make it to the hangar before it blew. How did you manage to get off the station?”

“There was an escape pod,” she answered steadily. “I took it and then crashed on Adamus. It was not long before the First Order arrived in their transporters.”

“What about Kylo Ren?” Finn interjected anxiously. “How did you get away from him?”

Rey’s heart began to beat faster, but she was careful to display no outward signs of distress. “When the bombardment began, there was an explosion. He was knocked unconscious, and I took my chance to make for the escape pods.”

Poe’s expression darkened. “You mean you didn’t kill him?”

“No.”

He shook his head in disbelief and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. She could feel the anger simmering inside him and threatening to boil over. 

“You mean to tell me that you had a perfect opportunity to kill the Supreme Leader of the First Order, and you didn’t take it?” 

“That wasn’t the mission,” she shot back, becoming defensive. 

“That’s not the—” his voice cut off suddenly as he gestured furiously with his hand. “Is that really an order I need to give? Does it not go without saying that when you have a mass murderer at your mercy, you do the galaxy a favor by ridding it of him?” 

“That isn’t the Jedi way,” Rey responded tightly, fists clenched at her sides. 

Poe stared at her for a moment, eyes wide and nostrils flared. Then, as he drew several slow, deep breaths, he seemed to regain his composure. But despite this, she sensed that his frustration and disappointment in her had not lessened. He took several deliberate steps toward her, advancing until he was less than a meter away. Defiantly, she met his gaze. 

“I thought I could trust you,” he said quietly, “that I could count on you to get the job done. I guess I was wrong.” 

“That’s not fair of you!” Rose intervened. “Rey risked her life to free these people, and because of her, many of them survived.”

“The mission was failure, Rose,” Poe responded sharply, turning to face her. “The goal was to take control of the station and free the miners in the process. Instead, we lost the station and far too many innocent lives.”

Pressing her lips together, Rose looked at him silently for a moment. Then her dark eyes glimmered. “We gave these people hope today. Leia would be proud.” 

He swallowed hard and blinked, briefly averting his gaze. Turbulent emotions were swelling inside him, and Rey’s hardened heart softened. He was hurting. He was grieving. Just like the rest of them. 

“There’s something else that might have turned the tide in our favor,” Finn broke in hesitantly. “The ship that fired on the station was the Finalizer. Why would it bombard the facility while Kylo Ren was still inside it?”

“That’s General Hux’s ship…” Poe’s features brightened. “He fired on his own Supreme Leader. So the rumors are true! There is division within the ranks of the First Order. If they turn on each other and destroy themselves, we might see an end to this war after all.” 

“I wonder if Kylo Ren made it out before the station blew,” Finn mused. 

“Only time will tell,” Poe replied, a new spring in his step as he moved past Rey and headed for the door. “Come on, let’s get these people some food and have them assigned to their temporary living quarters. When we get back to Naboo, we can figure out a more permanent arrangement.”


	6. Chapter 6

They did not remain on Mustafar for long. As soon as the rest of the knights had arrived, Ben had related to them the tale of Hux’s treachery and attempted assassination. And now the time for a swift and lethal counterstrike was upon them. The galaxy was in chaos. It needed order, and Ben knew that he must move quickly to prevent Hux from wreaking further havoc upon already collapsing worlds. 

They dropped out of hyperspace, the blue streaks filling his small viewport condensing into trillions of tiny pinpricks in an instant. A black void engulfed them, and he could see nothing but endless, empty space. Ben clenched his jaw in frustration, not liking the idea of his life being placed in the hands of another. 

“Is it here?” he asked tightly. 

“Yes,” answered Valdis, and though their chairs inside the cramped cockpit of the TIE Interceptor were situated back to back, he knew that she was smirking. 

Of course he could sense the thousands of lifeforms on board the Finalizer. He had become aware of them as soon as they had arrived at their designated coordinates. But he could not shake the feeling that they were walking into a trap. 

“Relax,” she added nonchalantly. “If this goes poorly, we’ll just fight our way through.”

Ben raised a condescending eyebrow and shifted uncomfortably, his long legs crammed beneath the console. “You never were the best pilot.” 

“Then perhaps you should bring your own ship next time,” she shot back, activating her comm unit. 

His breaths sound strangely muffled and metallic, reminding him of the long years he had spent hiding behind his mask. Now, he wore a spare helmet and robes lent to him by Morvis, one of his fellow knights. If all went according to plan, his disguise would allow him to slip past the occupants of the Resurgent-class Star Destroyer without being identified, and by the time Hux realized who had infiltrated his ranks, it would be too late. 

The first obstacle had already been cleared. Before their departure, Valdis had used her long-range transmitter to contact General Hux himself and had informed him that her current mission had been completed. She had requested permission to return to the Finalizer for reassignment, and he had granted it, providing the necessary coordinates to reach his location. She had said nothing of the mining facility’s destruction, feigning ignorance on the matter, and he had not broached the subject, for Kylo Ren was her master. She answered to him only—not Hux—and only time would tell how the deceitful general would choose to inform her of her master’s untimely death. 

Closing his eyes, Ben reached out with the Force and felt the presences of the other five knights flying alongside them, each inside their own individual starfighters. But theirs were engaged in stealth mode, cloaked and invisible to both the naked eye and to the ship’s sensors. 

“Attention, Finalizer, this is Valdis Ren, requesting permission to dock.”

A momentary pause. His eyes opened.

“Permission granted.”

He breathed a quiet sigh of relief, but their mission was far from over. 

“All right, we’re in,” she said once she had deactivated her comm. 

She refrained from notifying the other knights that they had been cleared, however, for a transmission of any kind might alert the Finalizer to the fact that Valdis was not alone. Instead, she and Ben amplified their positive and triumphant emotions, using them to communicate a much simpler but still effective message to their allies through the Force. They received wordless acknowledgements in turn, and for Ben, they were little more than light thrums, short and direct. 

The Star Destroyer’s shields were temporarily lowered, and the Interceptor soared toward its massive hangar. Ben waited in silence, hearing nothing but the low hum of the ship and seeing nothing but stars. A fleeting thought crossed his mind, unbidden but not unexpected. It was a common one now, filled with a longing he wished he could deny. 

Where was she?

He wondered if she had returned to her beloved Rebellion. She would have left Adamus—that was for certain. She had always been strong and resourceful—and stubborn most of all. Stubborn enough to resist him. Stubborn enough to refuse an offer to rule the entire galaxy…

Towering walls of solid durasteel slid into view, drawing him back to the present. On his right and his left were rows of docked TIE fighters that were stacked on top of each other. Mechanics, pilots, and officers in pristine gray uniforms were going about their designated tasks. Troopers in glistening white armor marched in strictly ordered groups, machine-like in their movements. 

Ben took all of this in through the slightly hindered view of his visor as the Interceptor slowly settled onto the black reflective floor. He sensed the others fly into the hangar behind them just before the shields were reactivated, and the knot in his stomach tightened. 

“Ready?” asked Valdis, grabbing her helmet and pushing it down over her dark hair. 

“Let’s go,” he responded darkly.

Unbuckling the straps crossed over her chest, she stood and opened the circular hatch above their heads. And immediately, they were greeted by sounds of chaos. 

The other five ships had landed, their cloaking devices deactivated, and the personnel were scrambling into action. Stormtroopers drew their blasters and rushed toward them, surrounding the fighters. Valdis climbed out of the Interceptor, Ben following closely behind her, and when his boots met solid ground once more, he found himself staring down the barrels of many weapons.

“Explain yourself!” demanded a First Order officer, approaching Valdis with his pistol aimed directly at her chest. 

If possible, she stood even taller, then tilted her head to one side. “Excuse me? Do you not know who I am?”

Her voice was low and grating as it emerged from behind her mask, and the stormtroopers looked at each other uncertainly. 

“I am Valdis of the Knights of Ren, under the direct command of the Supreme Leader himself. I have an audience with General Hux. He personally gave me these coordinates.” 

The officer swallowed nervously, but he was determined to stick to protocol. “I was not informed that multiple vessels would be docking.”

“Then you were informed wrongly,” she snarled, leaning down until she was inches from his rapidly paling face. 

He swallowed again, then unhooked his comlink from his belt. “My apologies. I will contact the general at once and notify him of your arrival.” 

Ben saw his eyes dart across the hangar and sweep over the other knights. Sweat was beading on the man’s temple, and he could feel the fear and suspicion radiating from him. He was going to blow their cover. 

Hiss!

No one had seen Valdis’ gloved hand drifting steadily toward the hilt of her lightsaber. Its violet blade ignited in an instant, slicing the air and relieving the officer of his head. His body remained standing for a brief moment before awkwardly crumpling onto the floor. 

“Would anyone else care to question my authority?” she challenged.

Ben’s gloved fingers flexed as he watched the stormtroopers’ hovering over the triggers of their weapons. Their polished white helmets swiveled toward each other, anxious and unsure.

“Good,” she said firmly. “Now, kindly escort me and my comrades to your superior—before I lose my temper again.”

**********

The personnel in the hangar bay had offered no further resistance, and a squadron of four soldiers had offered to accompany them to the bridge. Now they were passing through corridor after corridor of impeccable black and gray, small red lights blinking along the slanted walls. Eleven pairs of boots thudded and clicked on the spotless floors. Two stormtroopers walked ahead of them, and two trailed behind. In between, leading the knights, were Ben and Valdis. They walked side by side while the other five followed in their wake—Cassus, Morvis, Tanith, Asra, and Deroph. 

Ben knew the Finalizer well, and he knew that they were rapidly nearing their destination. The knot in his stomach continued to tighten, but he converted that fear into anger and hatred, allowing the power of his emotions to fuel his physical strength. Whatever trap Hux might have in store for them, he was prepared to violently dismantle it. 

Valdis glanced his way, and he briefly looked back at her. It was almost time. 

Minutes later, they were standing before a pair of heavy durasteel doors as they slid open. One of the troopers had activated the adjacent panel and announced that Valdis had arrived, but he had mentioned no others. 

“Go ahead,” he told her, nodding toward the bridge.

She rewarded him with the slightest incline of her head, then entered the large, open space beyond. Ben and the rest of the knights followed her, but the soldiers did not. They waited in the corridor, and it did not take long for Ben to realize why. 

The doors hissed closed behind them and sealed. His gaze swept over the room. There were no technicians or officers. Instead, at least twenty stormtroopers lined the walls, and along the narrow, raised walkway that lead to the vast viewport on far side of the bridge—

Praetorian Guards.

“Welcome, Valdis!” called a familiar, arrogant voice. “And, well, I don’t believe you mentioned that the rest of your friends would be joining us.” 

General Hux delivered his most condescending smirk, quite confident that his many guards would be able to protect him from the Force-wielders. 

“A pity,” Valdis replied without an ounce of sincerity. “I must have forgotten.” 

“I think we both know why you’re here,” he said, his malicious eyes glittering in the semi-darkness. “The question is, how did you find out so quickly?”

“News travels fast.”

He sneered. “Stall all you like, but there is only one way that you walk out of this room alive. Swear allegiance to me, your new Supreme Leader, or die. The choice is really a simple one.”

“Really?” she scoffed. “I think he might have something to say about that.”

She turned toward him, but Ben’s burning gaze was focused on Hux as he reached up and disengaged his helmet. With a dull, metallic click, he lifted it from his head and then cast it aside. Now, there was nothing between his dark, vengeful eyes and Hux’s pale, frightened ones. The general was at a loss for words. His lips opened and then closed again, quivering uselessly. He looked as if he was seeing a ghost. 

“You’re supposed to be dead,” he croaked finally. 

Ben took a single step forward. The stormtroopers aimed their blasters, and the Praetorian Guards activated their weapons. But none of them were able to prevent what he did next. Thrusting out his right hand, he called upon the Force, and it closed around Hux’s throat like an iron fist. He choked and spluttered, flailing helplessly as he was lifted into the air and hurtled toward his most hated enemy. 

One soldier dared to fire, but Valdis effortlessly deflected the bolt back into his own chest, her purple saber humming. And now Ben held his betrayer aloft in an unbreakable grip. He was breathing hard, his rage reaching its boiling point and his heart thumping loudly in his ears. Blood pumped wildly through his veins, every raw instinct screaming for him to kill, kill, kill. 

“I’ve been waiting a long time to do this,” he said, so quietly that only Hux and the knights could hear. 

“You…can’t,” his prey rasped, squirming and fighting to pry the gloved fingers from his throat. 

“Give me a reason,” Ben snarled through bared teeth. 

“Because…” Hux’s voice cracked, and he was forced to start again. “Because…if you kill me, everyone will find out who you really are.” 

Ben blinked, taken aback. “What are you talking about?”

“I know…I know who you are, and there are others on this ship who know. If I die, they will tell the galaxy the truth.” A laugh gurgled from his constricted throat. “You’re a traitor, Ren—a murderer. It’s in your blood.”

In his shock, Ben dropped him, and Hux crashed face-first into the floor. He knew—about Snoke—about his parents. He knew everything. And if the galaxy found out, there would be no place left for him. Not with the Rebellion—not with the First Order—nowhere. He would be an outcast, a fugitive, an exile. That could not be allowed to happen. 

“Kylo,” Valdis had stepped close to him, her voice a whisper, “what should we do with him?”

The knights, of course, knew that truth of his heritage. That was no secret to them, for they too had once been students of the legendary Jedi Master Luke Skywalker. And they knew that he had slain Snoke, though they were not aware of the true reason behind it. Thus, they had become quite accustomed to hiding his secrets from the rest of the galaxy, and this situation was no different in their eyes. 

“Get him out of my sight,” Ben growled furiously with a wave of his hand. 

She nodded and delivered a sharp kick to the general’s ribs, causing him to yelp in pain as he rolled onto his back. “Get up! You’re coming with me.” 

As she dragged Hux from the room, Ben turned his back on him. He was disgusted and dismayed by his own lack of foresight. That fool! That vermin! How had he allowed him to turn the tables on him once again? He had effectively reclaimed the title of Supreme Leader, but was he really in control? It certainly did not seem that way.

Ben was distracted from his inner conflict when the Praetorian Guards suddenly knelt before him, their heads bowed, and the stormtroopers followed their example. Hux’s threat remained a mystery to them, for it had only reached the ears of Ben and his knights. And it would have to remain that way, or he feared that he would lose the authority that was rapidly becoming all too fragile and threatening to shatter, the broken shards of it slipping from his weakening grasp. 

If he did not hold fast to it, all would soon be lost.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finished this chapter much earlier than expected! I hope you all enjoy this little surprise, and please remember to leave a comment if you enjoyed it!:)

Rey opened her eyes with a weary sigh and stared up at the wooden canopy above her much too large and elegant bed. White transparent drapes fell all around her, pale and almost glowing in the moonlight, and she was buried beneath many heavy blankets. The pillows and the mattress were too soft for her liking, and she felt as if she were always sinking lower and lower into them. Eventually, she thought, they might swallow her whole. 

She had been tossing and turning for hours, but sleep continued to elude her. Nights had passed in this way ever since she had first come to Naboo, nearly two weeks prior to their infiltration of the Adamus mining facility. She, Poe, Finn, Rose, and countless other members of the Rebellion had made the journey here in order to attend the funeral of their fearless leader, their tenacious general, and their always hopeful princess. 

Leia was here. The heart of the Resistance was here. 

And that was what had compelled them to stay. The queen had welcomed them with open arms, telling them of Leia’s heroic exploits some thirty years ago when she and several others had taken action to defend Naboo and its people from the Empire. Because of her, the planet was rapidly recovering from the extensive damage inflicted by Imperial, climate-altering satellites. And because of her, its people had been liberated, never again falling under the rule of tyrants. 

The Emperor’s betrayal had brought great shame upon the Naboo, and the queen was determined to atone for his crimes, just as her predecessors had strived to do. So now, as the First Order sought to conquer, she and her loyal subjects would rise to challenge it. All they had required was the right push. The right cause. The belief that they could achieve victory.

Luke’s sacrifice had reignited that spark of hope, and he had once again become the legend that the galaxy needed. The boy that had blown up the Death Star—that had defeated the Emperor—was now the man who had single-handedly faced down the First Order, who had given the Resistance the chance to live and to fight another day. 

Rey smiled for a moment, then sat up. Parting the white curtains on the left side of the bed, she swung her legs over, and her bare feet made contact with a lush rug. She wiggled her toes, delighting in the way its velvety material caressed her skin. But when her gaze found the pile of old books stacked on the desk near the window, her smile faded. 

No matter how hard she tried, she could not read them. The text was too archaic and unrelated to any language she recognized. No one else could interpret it either, and so she had been left in an endless cycle of struggle and frustration.

With an exhausted sigh, Rey leaned forward and buried her face in her hands, her dark hair falling long and loose over her shoulders and fingers. She was the last of the Jedi, the last of an ancient order that she knew very little of. Her time with Luke had been short, and he had been unwilling to teach her much of what she wished to know. How was she supposed to carry on the tradition? How was she ever going to convince anyone else to? 

Why would anyone want to listen to her? 

Hot tears welled behind her tightly closed lids, a lump burning in her throat. She heard an echoing voice, speaking words that cut her to the bone. Brusque and offhand. Cold and detached.

_“You have no place in this story. You come from nothing. You’re nothing.”_

She choked back a sob, the tears spilling down her cheeks. He was right, and that was the worst part. She was no one. She was from nowhere. Her parents had thrown her away like garbage. 

But she had learned something on this journey, an invaluable lesson that she would carry with her for the rest of her life. Her past did not define her. The future held infinite possibilities, and she could become whoever she wanted to be. The choice was hers alone. And she had chosen to be a part of something greater than herself. She had chosen to save what she loved. 

And that made her someone. Someone who could make a difference. Someone who could restore what was lost. 

“But not to me,” Rey whispered, finishing the words Ben Solo had spoken to her just before he had asked her to join him, to rule with him. 

He had wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, and it had torn her apart to refuse him. But he had left her no choice. She had seen it—that gleam in his eye. The lust for power. The lack of compassion for those she was desperate to save.

In that moment, he had not been the man who told her that she was not alone, who had held her hand, who had saved her from Snoke. No—he had been the monster. The hunter. He had allowed the dark side to rule his heart. 

But Rey refused to give up on him. She had glimpsed the light inside his soul, had seen it in his eyes when he reached for her—the hope. The Force was not finished with Ben Solo, and neither was she. 

If only she could reach him somehow. If only…

“Rey?”

Her heart stopped. All thoughts ceased. Her head jerked upright, and her breath caught inside her chest. 

There he was, standing directly across from her. Silhouetted against silver window panes. This had not happened since…since…

“Are you doing this?” he asked quietly, hesitantly, as if he feared the answer. 

“I-I don’t know,” she stammered, still struggling regain her composure. 

Of course she had not summoned him here by her own power. It was always the Force that had facilitated their uniquely intimate encounters. But such a thing had not occurred since the Battle of Crait. Since she had closed herself off from him. 

Rey doubted that she could control and manipulate their bond so easily, but perhaps the Force had heeded her request for a time. Was it possible that it could have sensed her desire for space—for time—and had granted her wish?

Ben appeared to be at a loss for words as well. His hands clenched and unclenched. His lips contracted and then parted. But his eyes never left her. 

Slowly, she stood and took a step toward him, squaring her shoulders and raising her chin. “Well? Did you get what you wanted?”

“Something like that,” he answered, but there was no glee in his voice. 

“Did you kill him?” she pressed.

“No.”

Rey exhaled slowly, finding some small comfort in that. He had not lost himself to violence and bloodlust after all. Apparently, he could not even bring himself to strike down his greatest rival. 

Ben glanced down for a moment, then met her eyes again. “So…you made it off Adamus.”

“No thanks to you,” she responded shortly.

“Really?” He quirked an eyebrow. “As I recall—”

“I would have made it off the station just fine without you. In fact, if you hadn’t been there, more of those people would still be alive, and they would be free.”

“I was not the only target,” he said, swiftly correcting her. “Hux wanted to destroy both me and you with a single stroke. With the Rebellion gone and me eliminated, there would be no one left standing in his path to galactic domination. He’s a madman, and he will stop at nothing until every knee bows to him.” 

“How is he any different from you?” she questioned, dismissively shrugging off his speech. 

Ben visibly flinched, and Rey knew that she had struck a nerve. 

“I don’t want people to suffer,” he insisted fervently. 

“Then why are they enslaved?” she demanded. “Why are they starving? Why do they labor until they drop dead? Why are their resources stolen and used to feed your war machine?” 

“Everything can’t be undone with a snap of my fingers.”

“Why hasn’t any of it?” Her chest was heaving, her hands balled into fists. Fury was steadily building inside her. 

He swallowed hard, and she thought she saw his eyes glisten. “I’m trying.”

His answer took her aback, and Rey stared at him in stunned silence. It was not the first time that this had happened. But before she could summon an answer, he began to fade away. _No!_ she thought, taking another step toward him.

But he was already gone.


	8. Chapter 8

Ben was left standing alone in his quarters on the Finalizer. But just moments before, she had been standing right there. So close and yet—just out of reach.

Their connection had returned. After a year of silence, it was back—like it had never left. What had caused it? It was not something of his making, for he had never chosen to relinquish it in the first place. Quite the opposite, in fact. He had clung to their bond—clung to her—with a tightly clenched fist. 

But she had let go. 

She had abandoned him in his darkest hour. When he needed her most. When his own brokenness had driven him to his knees. When he had nothing left but her. 

He had slain his master for her—was willing to let it all burn for her. And what had she given him in return? Betrayal. Just like his parents. Just like his uncle. Why he had expected anything different, he did not know. 

But despite all of that, despite the fact that she had slammed the door of that battered old freighter in his face, she still cared for him. He could see and feel that much. But she wanted him to be someone he was not. She was looking for a hero, a servant of the light, a loyal follower of the Resistance and of the Jedi teachings. 

But he was none of those things. And that caused doubt to gnaw at him. Did she only see him as a lost cause she was meant to save? Something that was broken and needed fixing? Was it all just a game to her, a ploy to gain a valuable asset? 

Was he a weapon in her eyes? A tool to be used? That was how Snoke had seen him. That was how Luke had treated him. 

Did she really care about him? Just him, and only him? Was it even possible for her to do so? Or was he always going to be viewed as nothing more than a vessel of the mighty Skywalker bloodline?

_Rey…_

Why did it have to be her? Why was she all that was left of that ancient and misguided order? It was a cruel irony, a terrible fate. That he, the Jedi Killer, could not bring himself to eliminate the last Jedi. 

Perhaps there was a way… A way to end the war without further bloodshed. Perhaps they could be made to surrender. If the remainder of those systems who still resisted were brought under his control, the Rebellion would have no choice. But his rule need not be one of violence of terror. What he desired was order and, eventually, peace. 

If he could change the First Order from within and subvert the ideology propagated by Snoke and other leaders like Hux, it might prove possible to remove the taint from its name. A new order could be brought to the galaxy. 

But he would be embarking on this endeavor alone. For as long as both he and she refused to compromise on their ideas of what was best for the galaxy, they would remain separated. 

Walking over to the small viewport embedded in the far wall, Ben looked out upon the vast labyrinth of space. Trillions of stars and planets all joined together by a single, invisible web. When he closed his eyes and reached out, he could feel them. At first, they were like an infinitely intricate network of electrical impulses, varying in frequency, wavelength, and intensity. 

But then he honed his focus further. Innumerable presences revealed themselves—humans, aliens, creatures, even plants—all generating and sustaining the Living Force. He sifted through them, seeking one in particular. If he could just have one more glimpse…

There! A vibration, faint and subtle. It might have been easy to miss if he had not committed every aspect of it to memory. He ventured closer, not bothering to conceal the yearning and aching of his dark and lonely soul. 

The Force flared, fiercely and suddenly, and the tiny pinprick became a beacon of light that pierced the void and streaked toward him. It was eager and unafraid, and in that moment, he realized that she had been searching for him too. 

_Rey…_

His lips formed the word with reverence, but no sound emerged. He found himself tempted to reach out physically, though he knew that it would be in vain. So instead, he remained still and silent, savoring the warmth that crossed time and space to embrace him. 

_“You’re not alone.”_

_“Neither are you.”_

They had said those words to each other once, but now they were no longer necessary. The feeling that was passing between them now was beyond words, powerful and profound. Overwhelming but soothing. Wild but tame. Chaotic but…

Balanced. 

He never wanted to let her go. But after some time, her presence wavered. Something was drawing her away, distracting her focus. She started to fade.

“No,” he whispered with quiet desperation. 

Her light was flickering, dimming, fleeing. He chased it. It was not enough—never enough. One last pulse radiated outward, washing over him and reassuring him of her return.

And then there was darkness. 

Ben opened his eyes, feeling as if a part of him was missing. But for a moment, just a moment, he had been whole. He was breathing hard, sweat beading on his brow from the effort of finding her. 

His return to reality was a cold and harsh one, his chambers black and empty. But now his purpose was clear, his decision made. There was another way to end this conflict, and he was going to do it. This must be what the Force had willed for him all along. As the last of the Skywalker lineage, it was his destiny to burn down the old structures, the old paradigms, and begin anew with his own way. A better way. With the First Order serving as his tool by which to implement it. 

There was much to do, and he looked forward to giving Hux the first of many future commands which were sure to cause him the utmost levels of distress and horror.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my goodness guys, I'm so sorry that it's been so long since the last update! Life got a little crazy for a while, but now I'm back with another chapter! I really hope you all enjoy it, and I am so incredibly grateful for every single one of you who read, leave kudos, bookmark, or comment on this story!

Weeks came and went, and the war dragged on. Many refugees from the Adamus mining facility had been recruited by the Resistance and remained on Naboo, but others had refused the call and elected to lay low on some backwater world or another. Rey could not blame them. The cost of challenging the First Order's iron fist was high, and they were just everyday people whose chief concern was feeding and protecting their families. Once, her own life had been so simple. But she'd had no one to look after but herself.

Sometimes, when mothers and their children passed her by, Rey caught herself wondering if she might have that one day. But those thoughts were fleeting, for she would then swiftly remind herself to focus on the task at hand. There was a war to fight—an enemy to defeat.

Things were not as simple as they had once been, however. The lines between good and evil—light and dark—were more blurred than she had initially believed, and she often wished that there was someone to offer her further guidance. Someone who understood the Force—like Luke, like Maz. But truly, it was Leia's wisdom that she missed most of all.

Leia had reminded her that there was always hope, even when she could not see it.

And now, as Rey scanned the latest updates from the HoloNet on her datapad, her brow furrowed in confusion. "Miners on Malterra to be compensated for their labors… Democratic elections to be held on Chandrila… Coruscant and other Core Worlds see rare decline in crime?"

"First Order propaganda," Poe grunted dismissively.

The Resistance leaders were gathered in the throne room of the Theed Royal Palace with Queen Vashti and her advisors, discussing their next move. But the First Order's sudden and rather recent interest in altruism had complicated matters.

"We should investigate these stories ourselves before dismissing them as false," Rey suggested, sending a sharp glance of disapproval the general's way.

He frowned and shook his head. "We don't have the time or the resources to waste."

"I'll go."

Every head turned toward Rose, who had remained silent for the duration of the meeting.

"Not alone," Finn said. "I'm coming with you."

She smiled knowingly at him before addressing the queen directly. "Finn and I can go to Malterra and talk to the miners. We'll find out if they're being treated fairly."

"And I will go to Chandrila," Rey declared. "If it is true that their system of government is resuming its regular operations, then that might mean that the First Order is loosening its hold on the galaxy."

"Unlikely," Poe scoffed. "We shouldn't be going on these wild bantha chases. We need military action—action that will dismantle the First Order while they're busy fighting amongst themselves."

"If there is a course of action that might allow us to avoid more bloodshed, then I will gladly take it," Queen Vashti replied. "I agree with the Jedi. We should investigate this."

Rey gave her a grateful smile, but Poe shifted irritably in his chair and leaned forward.

"We can't win this war by making friends with our enemy." He paused and then laughed incredulously as he looked around the room. "Am I the only one here who hasn't completely lost my mind? This is the First Order we're talking about. They've blown up an entire system of planets! And suddenly, all of you are willing to believe that they've—what? Had a change of heart?"

"They are no longer under the influence of Supreme Leader Snoke," Rey responded calmly and matter-of-factly.

"What exactly are you suggesting?" he challenged, regarding her with the same suspicion he had shown when they were on board the Resurgence.

"Rey's right," Finn intervened. "At the mining facility, we won stormtroopers to our cause. Like me, they were born into that life and were provided with no alternative—not until now. We can't condemn them all to death for walking a path they didn't choose."

Poe looked at him long and hard, deep in thought as he considered his friend's words. It was quite apparent to Rey that he valued Finn's opinion above her own, that he trusted him more than her, and she clenched her jaw as frustration flared inside her.

"All right," Poe agreed reluctantly, exhaling and massaging his tightly creased forehead. "The three of you have one week to do whatever reconnaissance you deem necessary, but not a day longer."

Finn's eager face broke into a grin. "Thank you, Poe. You won't regret this."

He leaned back in his chair with a defeated sigh. "I already am."

**********

The following morning, Rey placed her lightsaber, comlink, canteen, and datapad in a satchel that she slung over her shoulder. Everything else had already been loaded into the _Falcon's_ cargo hold. Finn and Rose had departed for Malterra an hour ago, and now it was time for her to make the journey to Chandrila. She knew very little about the planet—only that it was green and beautiful, and Leia had lived there before the war between the Resistance and the First Order had become a full-scale conflict. That alone was enough to motivate her to defend the planet and its people with her life, to preserve peace if at all possible. That was what Leia would want—an end to the destruction and the senseless violence. The restoration of democracy.

Glancing around the luxurious chamber one last time, Rey was struck by a very sudden and strange feeling. Like she might never see this place again. Like everything was about to change.

Blinking, she slowly turned and left the bedroom, closing the door behind her and making her way through the gleaming palace corridors. She kept going until she reached the Theed Hangar, where the _Falcon_ sat waiting. Yellow starfighters lined both sides of the vast space, sunlight beaming through the towering archway at the far end of the grand hall. Rey could not help but admire the way the marble floors glittered and glistened as she made her way toward the old freighter.

"Wait! Stop!"

Startled, she turned and looked back. Poe was racing toward her, several rebel soldiers following closely in his wake. Her brow instantly furrowed with concern.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

He skidded to a stop no more than two meters in front of her, and it was then that Rey became intensely aware of the fierce anger radiating from him. He was out of breath, his chest heaving and his eyes blazing.

"Why don't you tell me?"

She stared at him, bewildered by his accusing tone.

"This is all going according to plan, isn't it? You've been scheming with him the whole time, haven't you?"

"I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about," she answered defensively, her patience wearing thin.

"Oh really?" Poe sneered. "Well, maybe this will refresh your memory."

Holding aloft the small device in his right palm, he clicked a button, and Rey watched in horror as holograms of herself and Ben Solo were suddenly projected from its glowing center. They stood back to back in Snoke's throne room, lightsabers ignited as they battled his armored guards.

"Ben, when we touched hands I saw your future. I'll help you."

"Rey, I want you to join me. We can rule together and bring a new order to the galaxy."

Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment as the audio recording played over and over again—relentlessly. For a long moment, she was utterly speechless, paralyzed by fear and shame. But then fury began to bubble inside her, spitting and roiling until it threatened to burst from its fragile cage.

"Where did you get that?" Rey demanded in a voice that was low but trembling, teetering on a dangerous edge.

"It's all over the HoloNet," Poe replied, deactivating the device and shoving it into his pocket. "The truth behind Snoke's death."

"What you saw in that recording—what you heard—is not the whole story," she explained, taking an imploring step toward hm. "I never agreed to—"

"Snoke and his guards died that day. But Kylo Ren didn't, and neither did you," he interrupted bitterly. "You walked away with little more than a scratch. I wonder why that is?"

"You don't know—"

"I know enough!" he snapped. "You helped Kylo Ren betray his master so that he could become the new Supreme Leader, and in return, you were chosen to rule at his side. You wanted power, and you saw your chance to claim it."

"If I wanted it so badly, then why do you think I'm still here?" she responded lividly.

"Simple," Poe shrugged, his dark gaze never leaving hers. "There's no better way to defeat your enemy than to have someone on the inside, making sure that you're always one step ahead. Waiting for the opportunity to make the most lethal strike."

"I would never betray the Rebellion." Tears scalded her eyes, her hands balling into fists at her sides. "Who defeated Kylo Ren on Starkiller Base? Who stopped the TIE fighters on Crait from picking off all of you one by one? Who helped you escape from the caves and gave you a way off the planet when you would have otherwise been completely wiped out by the First Order?"

Nodding, he placed his hands on his hips and lowered his head. She felt some of his resentment melting away, replaced by regret and reluctance.

"I'm sorry, Rey. I really am. But this…" He gestured helplessly and looked at her again. "This is not something I can ignore. For the sake of the Rebellion, I must ask that you come with me immediately."

She stared at him in disbelief—saw the soldiers' hands resting on their blasters. "Are you giving me a choice?"

"I'm afraid not," he admitted with genuine sadness in his eyes.

A sharp stab of pain pierced her chest, the sting of betrayal leaving her stunned and devastated. After all they had been through together, he still refused to believe her—refused to show her the same loyalty she had shown him. There was only one thing left to do now.

"I'm sorry too," Rey said, her cheeks wet with tears.

Then she thrust her right hand forward, summoning a tremendous wave of telekinetic power that sent Poe and the other soldiers flying back through open air. Before they even hit the floor, she had already turned and started running toward the _Falcon_. The satchel bounced against her back, her steps pounding in tandem with her beating heart and gasping breaths.

"Shut the doors!" she heard Poe shout. "Seal the hangar!"

Increasing her pace, Rey felt the Force lighten her feet and carry her so swiftly that they scarcely touched the ground. The battered freighter grew larger and larger until it was all she could see, and she bounded up the boarding ramp with desperate strides. Closing it behind her, she took the quickest route to the cockpit and threw her satchel into the copilot's seat. Rey flicked a number of switches, mashed several buttons, and even jammed her elbow against the hull of the ship as it sputtered to life.

Ahead, the gap between the massive pair of durasteel doors was narrowing, and she gritted her teeth as she dropped into the pilot's chair. "Come on, girl. Don't fail me now."

The flickering lights stabilized, the metallic shuddering subsided, and a deep, steady hum informed her that the _Falcon_ was ready for flight. Gripping the controls with white-knuckled hands, Rey directed the ship into the air and deactivated the landing gear. Han's golden dice clinked together just above her head as she leveled the _Falcon_ and aimed it at the slim space that still remained between the sliding doors. It was now or never.

Like it had been launched from a blaster cannon, the famous freighter shot through the opening and was birthed into a world bathed in golden sunlight. Below were fields of green and sparkling waterfalls, and above was a blue cloudless sky that promised freedom. As the _Falcon_ ascended into the endless expanse, Rey checked the navicomputer and ensured that her course was still set for Chandrila. The Queen of Naboo herself had authorized her to undertake this mission, and she had no intention of allowing the unfounded suspicions of Poe Dameron to prevent her from seeing it through.


	10. Chapter 10

When he had joined the First Order all those years ago, Ben Solo had ceased to exist, and Kylo Ren had risen to take his place. Snoke and the other Knights of Ren had been the only ones who knew of his birth name, his parents, and the immense burden he carried—the Skywalker legacy. But now? Now the galaxy knew.  


Standing on the bridge of the _Finalizer_ , he contemplated a field of twinkling stars that stretched far beyond the limits of his physical sight. Endless. Infinite. But always there. He clung to it as a point of stability and familiarity as the rest of his world came crashing down around him.  


Ben could feel the gazes of his subordinates burning into his back—could hear their questions, their doubts, their accusations. And though they did not speak them aloud, their thoughts crowded his mind like a chaotic chorus, each voice clamoring to rise above the others. Gritting his teeth in frustration, he shut and bolted the doors of his mind, forcing them out and willing that they be silent. He needed to think, and he did not have much longer to do so.  


They were coming—Hux and the Knights of Ren. Somehow, the former general had released the recordings onto the HoloNet, and Ben knew that he had not acted alone. The question was: how many of his own knights had betrayed him?  


Hearing the doors to the bridge hiss open, he slowly turned and saw Hux marching confidently into the room, hands clasped behind him. Following closely behind him were the Knights of Ren, and every head turned to stare at them. The six Praetorian Guards who lined the central platform glanced uncertainly at each other before placing their armored hands on their weapons.  


“My, my!” Hux gloated with a nauseating grin. “What a tangled web you find yourself at the center of— _Ben Solo_.”  


A series a murmurs rippled amongst the officers stationed at the consoles below them, and Ben’s lip curled as he surveyed their suspicious expressions.  


“Now the galaxy knows the truth. You betrayed our Supreme Leader and murdered him, not only to take his position for yourself, but to save a _girl!_ The same girl who played a part in destroying Starkiller Base, who joined the Resistance and continues to be a prevalent thorn in the side of the First Order. A _Jedi!_ ”  


Ben swallowed but remained silent.  


“Well?” Hux pressed. “Have you nothing to say in your defense, _Jedi Killer?_ ”  


Raising his chin and assuming the most contemptuous countenance he could muster, Ben met the former general’s cold, ruthless eyes. “Shouldn’t you be in your cell?”  


“We decided to release him.”  


Ben’s gaze shifted to Cassus as he stepped forward, the hilt of his double-bladed lightsaber grasped tightly in his gloved hand.  
“Is it true?” asked Valdis, and though her face was concealed behind a mask, he could hear the disappointment in her voice. “Did you really do all of this for a girl? For a Jedi?”  


“I’m doing what’s best for the galaxy,” Ben answered steadily.  


“Ha!” Cassus scoffed with a dismissive wave of his hand. “In your brief time as Supreme Leader, you have already relinquished much of the control the First Order fought to gain. Instead of unifying the galaxy under one banner, you are encouraging independence and playing philanthropist.You are weak, Kylo, and that weakness will be your undoing.”  


The other knights drew their sabers but did not yet ignite them, and Ben’s right hand drifted toward the crossguard hilt hooked to his belt.  


“This is the end for you, _Solo,_ ” Hux spat. “An end that was far too long in coming.”  


Stepping back, he allowed the knights to advance, and the Praetorian Guards wavered. Caught in the middle of this mad struggle for power, where did their loyalties lie? Where _should_ they lie?  


Bracing himself for the battle to come, Ben saw Cassus’ finger shift to activate his twin blades. But before they could spring to life, a blinding flash of electricity burst from Valdis’ fingertips and sent Cassus careening into the far wall. Stunned, Ben stared at her as she switched on her purple saber and looked his way.  


“Go!” she ordered. “Get out of here while you still can!”  


He wanted nothing more than to stay and fight, but he knew in his heart that his time with the First Order had come to an end. No stormtrooper would willingly follow the son of Han Solo and Leia Organa into battle. If he was going to escape—if he was going to live to fight another day—he had to do it now.  


The Praetorian Guards turned on him, having made their decision at last, and Valdis flung her lightsaber into the back of one of them. The violet blade broke through his red-armored chest as he dropped to his knees, and Asra leaped into action. Snatching two of the grenades that were fastened to her shoulders, she pulled the pins and then tossed them into the midst of the personnel on both sides of the bridge. Many of them had already grabbed their blasters and were preparing to fire on their Supreme Leader, but then they were engulfed by flames.  


Ben’s black cloak billowed behind him, propelled by the combined forces of the simultaneous explosions, his red saber growling as two Praetorian Guards challenged him with their crackling weapons. An electro-chain whip hissed and snaked through the air, but before it could strike him, Ben thrust out his left hand and redirected its path. It caught around the neck of the second guard as the first sought to regain control over his weapon, his instinctive recoil ripping off the head of his own comrade.  


Capitalizing on his remaining opponent’s moment of shock, Ben lunged forward and impaled him on his snarling blade. Then he threw him ruthlessly to the ground and headed for the doors. But three Praetorian Guards and six Knights of Ren remained between him and the exit, and only two of them were on his side. Valdis was keeping Cassus and Morvis occupied while Asra dueled Tanith and Deroph with her yellow saberstaff. That left the three Praetorian Guards to him, and he knew that he needed to deal with them quickly if he was going to escape the _Finalizer_ before it was too late.  


Extending his left hand again, Ben lifted one off his feet in an invisible, iron grip. Then he clenched his gloved fingers into a fist, instantly crushing the life out of his enemy. As another guard charged toward him, Ben threw the armored corpse into him and sent both crimson figures tumbling off the platform. Now only one remained.  


The last Praetorian Guard came at him with a double-edged vibroblade, and he could hear the weapon humming as it rose to meet his own. He brought his saber down with brutal force, striking again and again as he drove his foe backwards. Locks of black hair clung to his damp forehead, his breaths coming hard and fast as he flew into a blind rage.  
The guard’s defenses did not hold for long, and Ben finally knocked him off balance. His adversary’s arms flailed, leaving his chest exposed, and Ben delivered a sharp kick with the heel of heel of his boot that shoved him to the ground. Landing hard on his back, the guard dropped his vibroblade and was unable to recover before Ben thrust his saber into his vulnerable torso.  


All of the hurt, the pain, the betrayal—they were the emotions he channeled. Once again, those whom he had once called allies had turned on him.  


“Kylo!”  


His head snapped to his left, and he saw Valdis struggling to hold her own. She was outnumbered, and her strength was waning.  


“Go!” she repeated urgently. “Go now!”  


_You know what you have to do._  


He blinked, realizing that her final words to him had not been spoken aloud, but had echoed inside his mind. It was clear to him then that she knew far more than she had ever revealed to him, or to anyone else for that matter. Perhaps she recognized the path he was meant to walk more than he did.  


Ben’s insides twisted into knots, his teeth clenched so tightly that his jaw ached. If he stayed, he could help Valdis and Asra defeat the other knights. Together, they could win. But the victory would be temporary, for Hux would have the entire ship alerted to their treachery by then—if he had not done so already.  


He had to go now, Ben reminded himself. He could not wait a second longer.  


_Thank you._  


That was the last message he communicated to them before deactivating his lightsaber and fleeing the bridge. Once in the corridor, he launched into an all-out sprint, determined to reach the hangar before Hux was able to organize enough soldiers to stop him. He could hear his voice speaking from the intercoms now, demanding his immediate detainment.  


“Lock down the escape pods! Seal the hangar!”  


Ben could only hope that the inevitable chaos caused by a former prisoner now giving orders would result in a delayed or possibly even a nonexistent response. The First Order was crumbling from the inside, fraught with coups and unreliable leadership. It was tearing itself apart, as if seized by some kind of madness. Was it fate? Or was it a failure of ideology?  


Reaching the hangar at last, Ben quickly located Valdis’ modified TIE and raced toward it. The heads of at least a hundred officers, stormtroopers, and technicians turned his way, but none of them made a move to seize him until one man stepped forward and brandished his blaster.  


“Stop him!”  


Red bolts of energy peppered the hulls of the small fighters surrounding him as Ben ran. He could hear the hangar doors starting to close and knew that he had approximately ten seconds remaining to fly out of here. Quickly climbing the ladder and then kicking it aside, he opened the the round hatch of the Interceptor and dropped into the cockpit. His gloved fingers flew over the controls, lights blinking to life and a low hum filling his ears.  


Then the TIE screamed into the air, streaking toward the rapidly shrinking opening. Dread settled in Ben’s gut, his eyes widening as he began to realize that he was not going to make it. The gap was getting too narrow. If he just had a few more seconds…  


His grip on the control sticks tightened as he prepared to crash the ship. Better to do it inside the hangar instead of colliding with the durasteel doors.  


But then something miraculous happened.  


The doors stopped. The Interceptor slipped through, and then he was flying in open space. Ben released a breath he didn’t realize he had been holding and leaned back against the seat, his fingers relaxing ever so slightly. For just a moment, he felt an exhilarating rush of triumph, but as suddenly as it had come, it was violently extinguished.  


His chest tightened, an invisible blow trapping the air inside his lungs and causing a dull ache just behind his ribs. Grimacing, he forced a painful inhale and an equally agonizing exhale. There was a new emptiness inside him. Two spaces that had been occupied for as long as he could remember were now yawning voids. Echoes of lives now lost.  


Valdis and Asra were gone.  


A cry of grief and anger tore from his throat as he slammed his fist against the interior hull of the ship. They had died because of him. Because of Hux and his betrayal. Because of Cassus and the other knights who had turned against him. He would avenge their deaths, and when he did, those traitors would receive no mercy from him. They would know nothing but the wrath of his blade.  


Gazing out at the vastness of the universe that lay before him, the realization suddenly dawned on him that he had nowhere to go. No one to turn to. He had nothing left. No master. No cause. No army. No family. He didn’t belong anywhere. He was an outcast—an exile. Claimed neither by the light nor the dark.  


Fighting to swallow the lump that had risen inside his throat, Ben reached out and punched a series of coordinates into the navicomputer. He didn’t know why he did it. He did not recall making a conscious decision to seek refuge there. But an instinct that transcended rational thought compelled him to.  


Activating the hyperdrive, Ben braced himself as the TIE shuddered and then launched into a swirling mass of blue light.


	11. Chapter 11

In a galaxy at war, Chandrila was a bastion of peace. Leia had once described it to her as a temperate paradise with rolling hills, crystal cliffs, and seas of glass, which Rey had often tried to conjure images of in her mind. But all of her attempts fell far short of reality. Here, the planet's inhabitants lived in harmony with nature, building their cities alongside it instead of crushing it beneath an industrial heel of smog and durasteel.

The air was crisp and clean with a hint of salt, for Hanna City was located on the coast of the Silver Sea. White spires rose against a clear blue sky, glittering in the light of a single sun. The streets were wide and uncrowded, lined with the greenest grass Rey had ever seen and populated with flowers so vibrant that they stung her eyes. If only she could go back and tell her younger self about the places she would visit one day…

"Excuse me, my lady."

Startled from her thoughts, Rey glanced up at the slightly older woman who had approached her. She was elegantly dressed, wearing a long white gown with gold embroidery and gold earrings. Several loose chestnut curls framed her narrow face, the rest of them tied back and piled on top of her head.

"He is ready to see you now."

Nodding and quickly rising from the plush sofa where she had sat waiting for the last half hour, Rey followed the woman through the vast marble corridors of the southern capitol building. Richly attired politicians and their attendants passed them by, observing Rey's simple gray sash and black tunic with raised eyebrows and appalled expressions. Clenching her jaw and keeping her gaze focused on what was in front of her, she pretended not to notice them. But the truth was that she had felt exceedingly underdressed from the moment she had set foot on this planet.

At last, they arrived in front of a pair of ornately carved golden doors. Rey watched as the woman stepped up and pressed a button on the access panel, causing the doors to slide open with scarcely a sound. Then she followed her into the room beyond, where a man reclined on a velvet couch and sipped from a wine glass. He immediately rose when they entered, however, greeting them with a welcoming grin and sparkling emerald eyes.

"Calum Trevelm, this is Rey of the Resistance."

The woman indicated Rey with a delicate gesture, and she stepped forward with a smile, extending her hand as she had been advised to do when meeting new people. The taller man hesitated for the briefest of moments, and her smile faltered. Had she done something wrong? But then he suddenly grasped her hand in his much larger one and shook it warmly.

"A pleasure to finally meet you, Rey! The Jedi once had a prominent presence on Chandrila. It brings me joy to see that their legacy has not been not extinguished after all."

"Thank you," she replied, eager to skip the pleasantries and explain why she had come. "The Queen of Naboo sent me to investigate the situation here on Chandrila. We heard that the First Order is allowing the planet to restore its own system of government and hold democratic elections. Is that true?"

"Why yes, it is!" Trevelm responded eagerly. "A rather unexpected turn of events, to be sure, but not an unwelcome one. It appears that Supreme Leader Ren does not adhere to the same principles as his predecessor. He's created quite a stir amongst political circles—not just here—but across the galaxy."

"Has he been here recently?" she inquired, attempting to maintain a manner of casual indifference. "Did he come to address the matter personally?"

"No, but—" Calum abruptly paused and then swallowed. "I'm sorry, but I don't think this is a subject I am at liberty to discuss with you. You are at war with the First Order, and they with you, and it is Chandrila's desire to remain neutral in this conflict."

"We are," Rey admitted, "but if there is any way to end this war without further bloodshed, I will do it. Surrender is not an option for the Rebellion, but if some kind of compromise can be reached—a treaty or—"

"Please!" he interrupted, holding up a hand. "Go no further. I cannot be seen negotiating with a leading member of the Resistance, which is viewed by many on this planet as a terrorist organization. As you previously stated, we are in the middle of an election, establishing our own Chandrilan Senate for the first time in centuries. The New Republic failed, and it is time that we accept alternative solutions."

"Because it was destroyed by the First Order!" she burst, her voice rising before she could stop it. "How can you sit back and do nothing while billions die?"

He simply raised his chin and did not answer her, his decision already made. Her eyes narrowed.

"Ah, of course. You won't risk losing your precious election. I don't know why I expected anything different. You politicians are all the same—cowards."

The friendly twinkle of Trevelm's gaze vanished in an instant. The smile that was plastered on his face had now darkened and twisted into a forbidding scowl.

"Get this woman out of my office."

"No need," said Rey. "I know the way."

Before he or his assistant could utter another word, she turned sharply on her heel and stormed from the room. She couldn't wait to get out of this place.

When she exited the building, Rey expected to be met by a pleasant evening breeze and a starry sky. Instead, she was lashed across the face by sheets of torrential rain. Darkness had fallen, and thunder rolled in the distance.

"Great," she muttered, blinking droplets out of her eyes as she started to make her way back toward the spaceport.

It would be a long walk, but she needed the time to think. She hoped that Vashti would still be expecting a report from her, but she had not seen or spoken with the queen since the recordings had leaked onto the HoloNet. Was it safe to return to Naboo? If Poe still intended to detain her, and if the rest of the Resistance had turned on her like he had—where could she go?

Rubbing her exposed right shoulder as a shiver ran through her, her fingers felt the scar that lingered there. And then hope kindled inside her. Ben had kept his word. He had promised her that he would change things, that he would make things better. And he was.

If only she could see him—speak to him again—maybe they could figure out a way to end this war.


	12. Chapter 12

Chandrila's sun was a blazing ball of fire that ignited the sky over Hanna City as it sank toward the sea. Brilliant strokes of red, orange, pink, and yellow streaked across the atmosphere like tongues of flame, scintillating on the surface of the water like leaping embers. Ben watched as the towers beyond his small, circular viewport grew steadily larger, shimmering and sparkling in the warm glow. But dark clouds were gathering on the horizon, and he knew that the storm would likely arrive within the next couple of hours.

Taking a deep, shuddering breath, he realized that his hands were shaking as they gripped the controls. In all the years since he had left Chandrila to train under Luke, he had never returned—not once. From this distance, the city seemed to be much the same as he remembered it, but even though it appeared at first glance as though nothing had changed, he knew that the notion was ridiculous. Everything had changed—himself most of all. But he took some solace in the fact that the planet had thus far remained untouched by the war.

As he neared the spaceport, he saw that Docking Platform E-22 was clear and ready for him to land. He had informed them that he was coming, and they had made no protests. The Interceptor descended rapidly toward its destination, its downward angle sharpening. Ben's gaze flicked back and forth between the platform and the ship's console, gauging his speed and the distance that remained.

Finally, he pulled back on the sticks and leveled out the fighter, slowing until he was gliding over the platform. Then he set the TIE down. Unbuckling his restraints, Ben sat back for a moment and stared blankly ahead. What was he thinking, coming back here? What answers could he possibly hope to find? There was nothing here anymore. Nothing but ghosts.

Removing his gloves, he laid them on the console and then reached back, raising the hood of his cloak. It would be impossible for him to pass through the capitol city without being recognized, but he planned to draw as little attention to himself as he could manage.

Opening the hatch, Ben climbed out of the cockpit and dropped down onto the platform, his boots landing with a dull thud. A quick glance at his surroundings told him that the spaceport was not especially crowded, and he hoped that most Chandrilans would soon be heading indoors for the evening. As for him, it was time to make the journey to Embassy Row.

**********

Ben didn't know how long he had been standing there in front of that door, wrestling over whether or not he should open it. When he had made a casual inquiry about the apartment at the front desk, he had been informed that its owner had refused to rent it out to anyone, despite the fact that it was no longer occupied. The reason for this was a mystery to others, but not to him. He knew that his mother would have wanted to return one day, after the war was over.

Swallowing hard, Ben was nearly overwhelmed by the wave of guilt that crashed over him at the mere thought of her. So much more than a former residence lay beyond that door. But something defying explanation was drawing him toward it, calling to him in a voice both familiar and foreign. He didn't know what he was going to see, or what he expected to see, and that was the worst part.

But before he could stop himself, Ben had already typed the password into the access panel and opened the door. They had never changed it, even after all this time.

Hesitantly, he stepped inside. The door closed behind him. And then there was silence. Ben's eyes slowly roamed over every inch of the place—the couch, the kitchen, the holoscreen. Just behind him and to his left was another doorway that led to a bedroom—his parents' bedroom.

Moonlight streamed through the apartment's tall windows, casting an ethereal glow over everything it touched and plunging the rest of the room into deep shadow. Echoes of laughter bounced off the walls, mingling with the desperate screams of a boy who thought no one could hear him. Shifting his gaze to the closed door that lay ahead of him, Ben remembered curling into a ball and hiding himself beneath the blankets, seeking escape from the voice that assailed his thoughts day and night. He remembered the nightmares, terrifying visions that tormented his sleep until he dreaded it.

He had believed that he was going mad—that something was wrong with him. But it was Snoke. It had always been Snoke.

Lowering his hood, Ben advanced further into the room. It was so quiet. So empty. So lonely. They were gone now, and it was his fault.

The weight of his guilt and his utter failure became so heavy that he could no longer bear it, and he sank to the floor. On his hands and knees, he hung his head, black locks of hair falling around his face as tears dripped from his eyes. He had tried. He had tried so hard. And all he had done was make things worse.

It was too late—too late to atone for the things he had done—the atrocities he had committed.

"Ben."

He opened his eyes, not realizing that he had closed them, and beneath his hands, he saw an infinite void. Fear seized him, and he scrambled upright. Before him stood a man robed in white, a strange blue glow emanating from his seemingly solid form. He appeared to be no older than Ben, having tousled brown hair and a kind countenance. Despite being convinced that he had never seen this man before, Ben could not help but feel that he was somehow familiar.

"W-who are you?"

"Don't be afraid," the man answered calmly. "I've come to help you."

Ben climbed to his feet, his suspicious gaze never leaving the ghost-like figure. "What do you mean? What is this place?"

"Where we are doesn't matter. What does matter is why."

Taking a moment to glance at his surroundings, Ben saw only darkness, the space above and below him occupied by trillions of stars. There was no ground, and yet, he was not falling.

"You've decided that it's too late to turn back—that you've fallen too far. You think that you have nothing left to lose and nothing left to fight for. But you're wrong—just like I was."

Ben's eyes darted to the stranger's mysterious blue ones, so youthful but burdened with the kind of knowledge that only trials and sufferings could bring.

"I had a son. You have _her._ "

His heart thundered inside his chest, his legs suddenly feeling like they were going to buckle beneath him. Ben stared in awe. "You're…you're Anakin Skywalker."

"Your instincts serve you well," he smiled. "That's what Obi-Wan used to tell me. Well, not often—but sometimes."

Ben's mouth opened and then closed again. Words eluded him.

"They named you after him, you know," Anakin added. "Ben Kenobi. When Luke was a child, Obi-Wan was there with him on Tatooine, keeping his distance but always ensuring that no harm came to him. He accepted the responsibility of preserving what he viewed as the only hope that remained in the galaxy—the only hope of defeating the Empire."

Ben shifted uneasily, summoning his voice at last. "Snoke told me of your sacrifice. How you came so close to achieving balance but then failed. He said that it was a moment of weakness."

"Did he?" Anakin replied, unconcerned. "And what do you think?"

"I…" Ben sighed and shook his head. "I don't know anymore."

"You know what it's like to care for someone so deeply that you're willing to risk your own life for theirs."

He was trapped. He wanted nothing more than to avoid the issue, but it was as if his grandfather could see right through him—right into the very depths of his soul.

"I don't deserve her," Ben admitted finally, a lump burning in his throat. "She knows what I've done. I have nothing to offer her."

"Isn't that something she should decide for herself?" Anakin suggested.

Ben's hands balled into fists at his sides, and he started to pace. "What am I supposed to do? The fate of the galaxy is out of my hands now."

"The war must end, and you can ensure that it does. The First Order must be destroyed."

Ben spun to face him. "I can't fight them alone."

"You won't be alone," Anakin said simply.

"What?" Ben laughed incredulously. "Are you talking about the Resistance? You can't be serious. They would never—"

"Not the Resistance," Anakin corrected with a shake of his head. "Rey. Only together can you restore balance."

"How?" Ben demanded, his frustration continuing to build. "How can I know the will of the Force when it refuses to speak to me? My whole life, I've been told that I have a destiny. That I was chosen by the light—that I was a servant of darkness. But it was all lies. I'm not who they thought I was."

"It's not about what they think. It's about who you choose to become."

Ben fell silent, the words resonating inside him. He thought for a long moment, and then finally, he raised his head once more and met his grandfather's steady gaze. "I want to atone for the things I've done. I want to make things right. But I don't even know where to start…"

A glimmer of pride flickered in Anakin's eyes as took a step toward his grandson. "First, you must confront the darkness within yourself."

Ben nodded, though fear and doubt gnawed at him. "All right. How do I—?"

The familiar growl of an igniting lightsaber suddenly sounded behind him, and he whirled to face it. Stunned, he blinked several times, struggling to discern whether what he saw was real or a figment of his imagination. The hooded figure held a crimson crossguard saber in his right hand, and his face was concealed behind a mask—the very same mask that Ben had personally destroyed more than a year ago.

He looked over his shoulder to inquire of Anakin, only to find that his grandfather had disappeared. It was then that he understood what was happening. This phantom was the darkness inside himself. This was Kylo Ren.

Shedding his cloak, Ben unhooked his lightsaber from his belt and activated it. His opponent circled him slowly and deliberately, like a predator deciding how best to devour its prey. Ben raised his blade to chest height, holding it parallel to the ground as he tracked his enemy's movements. He noted that with each step either of them made, strange ripples went out from beneath their feet, as if they were disturbing an invisible pool of water.

Taking a deep breath, he calmed his mind and honed his focus to a razor sharp edge. Lingering near the farthest fringes of his consciousness, he could hear a familiar voice calling to him, beckoning softly and kindly. Part of him instinctively rebelled against it, repulsed by its passivity—its benevolence. No, Ben thought, sternly reminding himself to resist those darker impulses. Things were going to be different now. He was _choosing_ to be different.

_Just let it in._

Closing his eyes, he cast down his mental barriers and opened himself to the light. Immediately, it came to his aid, eager and willful. It held no grudge against him. Instead, it seemed to have been patiently biding its time, waiting and hoping for him to welcome it as he once had.

_Hiss!_

Ben's eyes flew open again, just in time to see Kylo Ren charging toward him with his saber held high. He moved to meet his foe, coming in low, and their blades collided with a violent crash. What followed was series of ferocious, calculated strikes, each blow heavier than the last. Forced into a defensive stance, Ben was expending much of his energy just to parry his opponent's attacks. Kylo ruthlessly drove him backwards, and Ben knew that he needed to do something quickly to reverse the momentum.

When his enemy's weapon came down the next time, Ben caught it with his own but allowed Kylo to force his blade toward the ground. Then he took his foe by surprise and swiftly shoved his saber aside. Kylo stumbled forward, off balance, and Ben spun to the left. Circling behind his vulnerable opponent, he threw out his left hand and issued a powerful Force push. That sent Kylo sprawling onto his face, and Ben wasted no time in striding toward him to deliver the final blow.

But just before he reached him, Ben saw his enemy push himself up onto his hands and knees. He froze in midstep, suddenly unable to move. Kylo retrieved his fallen saber and rose, turning to face him. Ben fought against the invisible grip that held him in place, but his efforts were in vain. He watched, helpless, as Kylo advanced.

His entire body was being slowly compressed, his throat constricting and his insides squeezing. Eyes wide with terror, he croaked as Kylo crushed the air from his lungs. He couldn't breathe—couldn't think. Strange dots flickered across his vision, darkness creeping in from its corners. He was slipping into oblivion.

But then, at the last possible moment, a single word flashed across his mind like a bolt of lightning, igniting a fire in his failing heart. One name that brought him back from the brink.

_Rey._

Ben's eyes snapped open, blazing as they fearlessly gazed upon the masked visage of death and destruction that loomed before him. New strength swirled inside him like a raging tempest, begging for release. Breaking free of his invisible bonds, Ben unleashed a wave of telekinetic energy that launched his enemy backwards through open air. He dropped onto his knees, breathing hard but still gripping his lightsaber in his right hand.

Kylo landed hard on his back and did not move for some time. Struggling to his feet, Ben trudged toward his fallen foe. Kylo saw him approaching and started to rise, but Ben extended his hand and forced him back down. Rage burned inside him as Ben stood stood over Kylo, grasping his crossguard hilt with both hands.

This was Snoke's loyal apprentice, the Knight of Ren who had the blood of so many on his hands—including that of his own father. This was the part of him that still hungered for power, for domination. The part of him that longed to be Vader's worthy heir.

So why couldn't he kill him? Why couldn't he let go? Ben clenched his jaw and willed himself to do it, his raised arms trembling. But he remained as he was, unable to bring the blade down.

Finally, he sighed in defeat and lowered his saber, deactivating it. As Kylo Ren faded away in front of him, he wondered if he had failed, just as he had so many times before.

"Why did you spare him?"

Turning, Ben saw that his grandfather had returned. He shook his head and lowered his gaze. "I—I don't know. It just…didn't feel right."

"Because Kylo Ren is as much a part of you as Ben Solo is. In truth, there never was a Kylo Ren. There was only you."

Tears welled in Ben's eyes, and Anakin's gaze softened with compassion and understanding as he continued.

"It was never about destroying the parts of yourself that you had chosen to reject. We all have both light and dark inside of us, and they will always stand in opposition to one another. But you can still find peace and balance within yourself. You will never lose your darkness, Ben, but you can learn to rise above it."

He swiped at his eyes with the back of his sleeve and inhaled deeply. Then he nodded and straightened. "I'm ready."

Anakin smiled and motioned invitingly with his hand. "Sit."

Ben did as he was told, lowering himself into a crosslegged position, and his grandfather did the same.

"It is time to purify your crystal. Close your eyes and focus on the lightsaber."

Again, Ben obeyed, gently levitating the hilt until it hovered less than a meter in front of his chest.

"The light and the dark are two halves of a whole," said Anakin. "One Force. As its vessels, it is our sacred duty to preserve a universal balance. While there is good, there is evil, but it must not be allowed to triumph over good. Virtue is to be chosen over vice. Mercy over vengeance. Love over hate. Life over death."

There was a pause in which Ben allowed the words to wash over him, feeling the corruption draining from his crystal.

"Repeat after me: passion, yet peace."

"Passion, yet peace."

"Knowledge, yet ignorance."

"Knowledge, yet ignorance."

"Chaos, yet harmony."

"Chaos, yet harmony."

"In the Force, I find balance."

"In the Force, I find balance."

Behind his closed lids, Ben saw a blinding white flash. He opened his eyes. The hilt still floated in front of him. Reaching out, he reclaimed it and turned it carefully over in his hands. Then he held it aloft and ignited the blade.

A silver beam sprang to life, vibrating with a low, stable hum. Admiring it, Ben tilted it slightly to one side, then to the other. Anakin stood, and after a moment, Ben deactivated the saber and followed suit, hooking it onto his belt.

"Well done," his grandfather smiled.

"I'm so proud of you, Ben."

All at once, the color drained from his face, his heart plummeting to his toes. Slowly, Ben turned to his left and saw her standing there. His mother. A lump formed in his throat, his lip trembling as fresh tears sprang to his eyes. And suddenly, he was a child again, fleeing a nightmare and taking refuge in the simple yet profound comfort of her waiting arms.

She seemed so much smaller now, with him bending down and her rising onto the tips of her toes to reach him. Ben buried his face in her shoulder, his tears soaking her robes. He held her so tightly that he feared he might break her, but she remained as strong and steady as she had always been, silently rubbing his back until he was breathing normally again.

Finally, Ben drew back and met her brown gaze with his own. "I'm sorry."

His large hands were clinging to her shoulders, his eyes begging her to believe him. Leia just smiled.

"I know. All I wanted was for you to come home."

Ben swallowed hard. "You'll tell him, won't you?"

"Of course," she nodded. "We both will."

His brow furrowed in confusion. "We?"

She looked past him and canted her head. Following her gaze, Ben turned around and saw that a third person had materialized behind him—and that person was none other than Luke Skywalker.

"Hey, kid."

Instinctively, Ben recoiled, his hands curling into fists at his sides. His eyes were wide and frightened, images of an ignited green saber flashing across his memory. But then he felt a reassuring hand grasp his arm.

"Let it go, Ben," Leia urged gently. "Forgive him."

He swallowed again. Anger, sorrow, and regret tangled inside him, his tongue turning to lead.

"Ben," Luke began sincerely, "there is nothing I regret more than what I did to you. For a long time, I wished that I could go back and do things differently—that I could fix it somehow. But everything happens for a reason. And now, here you are—despite my failures."

Ben's fingers slowly relaxed, his gaze beginning to soften. "It…wasn't all bad," he said at last, managing the slightest of smiles.

Luke returned it, his shoulders seeming to sag with relief as tears shone in his blue eyes.

"Ben."

He glanced over at his grandfather, who had stepped forward but seemed reluctant to interrupt.

"It's time," Anakin told him. "Rey is on Chandrila, and you must go to her. She is in imminent danger."

Ben's heart started to pound. "Where is she?"

"Hanna Spaceport."

"Find the _Falcon_ ," added Leia, "and you will find Rey."

Ben nodded, and he was ready—ready to go and help her. But something was holding him back. He turned to his mother once more.

"Will I—will I ever see you again?"

Leia smiled and stepped closer, placing her hand over his heart. "Even when you can't see me, I'll always be with you."

Blinking back tears, his eyes remained fixed on her even as she backed away.

"May the Force be with you," said Luke.

"Always," Anakin finished.

And then he was back on the floor of the apartment, his head spinning and his limbs aching. Ben grimaced and carefully pushed himself up onto his elbows, then his knees. He couldn't see much. There was no moonlight any longer, and rain was thrashing against the windows. It took him a few moments to recall how he had gotten there, but then he remembered. He remembered everything.

"Rey," he breathed, scrambling to his feet and running blindly toward the door.


	13. Chapter 13

By the time Rey reached the platform where the Falcon was docked, she was soaked to the bone. Her clothes clung to her skin, strands of dark hair plastered to her forehead. Irritably, she swiped at her eyes again, struggling to see in the impenetrable blackness. She could hear waves crashing against the durasteel structure some seven meters below, the towering exterior of the spaceport looming behind her.

A sudden and ferocious gust of wind nearly blew her sideways, but Rey managed to catch herself, her long gray sash whipping to the right. Arms extended, she took a moment to get her bearings before traveling the rest of the remaining distance to the ship. _Blast this weather!_ she thought grumpily. _They told me Chandrila was a paradise._

Thunder boomed overhead, a sudden flash of lightning blinding her. In the same instant, something metal struck the back of her head, and she fell. Hitting the platform hard, Rey lay flat on her stomach, dazed and disoriented. But despite the fact that she couldn't seem to form a single coherent thought, sirens were blaring within her muddled mind. On an instinctive, subconscious level, the Force was warning her—warning her that she was in danger.

Rey rolled onto her back and saw a strange figure standing over her, robed in black and wearing a domed helmet. In its right hand was a mace, which it was now raising to deliver a lethal blow, and she stared in shock. Images she had nearly forgotten streaked across her memory, merging with reality and paralyzing her.

There was a deafening crack, another fork of lightning piercing the darkness as the mace came down. But then a silver blade burst through the armored chest of the figure, a masculine scream tearing from his throat as he collapsed. Rey scrambled backwards, narrowly avoiding his lifeless body as it landed with a dull thud. Breathing hard, she sprang to her feet, struggling to fight off the dizziness that assailed her.

The silver saber hissed and sizzled in the rain, curls of smoke rising from it as a tall, hooded stranger lowered the weapon to their side. It had a crossguard hilt, extremely similar to that of—Rey's train of thought screamed to a halt. It couldn't be. It simply wasn't possible—was it? But the man from her vision—the man who had saved her was—

"Rey." He had deactivated his lightsaber and was now lowering his hood. "It's me."

She knew his voice, could see the rain flattening his black hair against his forehead as his dark robes were caught up by the tempestuous wind. But even then, she could hardly believe it.

"Ben?" she managed finally. "What are you doing here?"

"A good question," he admitted with a sad smile. "Even I didn't know at first."

As she watched him closely, Rey realized that it was not just the color of his lightsaber that had changed. "The vids on the HoloNet…"

"I saw them, and so did the rest of the First Order. The result was probably even messier than you might imagine."

"I might surprise you," she countered. "Some high-ranking members within the Resistance didn't take too kindly to my perceived affiliation with you. We…didn't part on good terms."

"It seems that the Force brought both of us here for a reason," he replied, squinting as water dripped from his hair and off the end of his nose.

"Which is?" she pressed, crossing her arms over her chest and reminding herself that she should not let her guard down so easily.

"I was lost," Ben confessed, taking a step toward her, "and I never believed that I could find a way out until I met you. You said that I wasn't alone. That it wasn't too late. And for the first time, I—" he stopped and swallowed hard. "I felt hope again."

Suddenly, tears were welling in her eyes, and Rey tried to blink them back.

"When you left, I realized that all of the power I had gained—that ruling the galaxy—meant nothing if it was a burden I had to bear alone. So I tried to change things, tried to show you that I was willing to compromise. But there were others who never intended to loosen the First Order's grip on the galaxy, so they plotted to overthrow me. This man was one of them," he clarified, nodding at the masked corpse.

"Wait," she said, her expression softening. "You did—you did all of this for me?"

He ventured another step closer, and her heart beat faster.

"All of it," he assured her, the intensity of his gaze sending a shiver down her spine. He paused a moment before continuing. "Rey, there's something I need to tell you."

"Yes?" she asked hesitantly.

"I…had another vision. I can't explain everything now, but I—I was told that there's only one way this war ends, and it requires you and I to join forces."

Her brows rose, her eyes widening. "Are you…are you saying that you want to bring down the First Order?"

"I know that the Resistance would never accept me," he explained quickly, "and you have no reason to trust me. But I'm willing to do whatever it takes to bring peace."

Rey stared in stunned silence as he grasped the hilt of his lightsaber with both hands and held it out to her. Then she shook her head.

"You don't have to do that, Ben."

"Take it," he insisted quietly.

She could sense his desperate desire to prove himself to her, could feel the aching loneliness inside him that was so akin to her own. They were exiles now, rejected by the very causes they had fought so fiercely to defend.

Slowly, Rey reached out. As her fingers curled around the cool metal, she glanced up and met his gaze. But instead of removing the hilt from his loosening grip, she gently pushed it down. Her heart thundered in her ears as she drifted nearer to him. Surprise flickered in Ben's eyes, but he did not retreat or look away from her. Instead, he appeared to be transfixed, neither of them noticing nor caring that the storm was calming.

Rey timidly tilted her face up toward his, knowing that he must be aware of the longing inside her—how she yearned to feel his touch again. And yet, he seemed uncertain. She perceived his guilt, his shame, and all of the reasons why he was telling himself that he shouldn't cross this line. But she inched closer, more insistently this time.

His resolve was weakening—she could sense it when he finally bowed his head. Brave and terrified all at once, Rey waited, watching him lean down. As she felt his breath on her skin for the first time, a quiver of anticipation ran through her. They remained there for a long moment, savoring this new intimacy but still refraining from closing the remaining distance between them.

At last, Ben surrendered, tilting his face slightly to one side and moving in. Rey closed her eyes, forgetting to breathe. And then she felt his lips brush softly against her own. It was cautious and tentative, but she had never experienced anything like it before. She wanted more.

Raising her left hand, Rey rested it on his cheek, her fingers tracing the same scar that she had inflicted upon him so long ago. And as she eagerly returned his kiss, his confidence grew. Ben's right arm slipped around her waist and pressed her body against his, their lips colliding again and again with increasing intensity. Finally, his other hand relinquished its hold on the lightsaber and shifted to her shoulder. That left the hilt dangling loosely in Rey's grasp, and a moment later, she dropped it onto the platform with a metallic clang.

Rain continued to pour down her face as she slid both arms up and around his neck, tangling her fingers in his soaked black hair. He was devouring her with the kind of desperation that could only be felt by someone who had been starved for a lifetime, nearly bending her over backwards with his strength. But Rey let him—because she knew what it was like. In so many ways, they were different, but at their cores—they were one and the same.

"Don't leave me," she panted. "Don't leave me ever again."

"I'm not going anywhere," Ben answered breathlessly, his hand moving from her shoulder to the side of her neck.

And then he kissed her again, caressing her cheek with his thumb as tears spilled from her eyes and mingled with the rain. He was gentler now, holding her close but no longer crushing her against him. Both of them, it seemed, had finally realized that the other was not going to vanish from their arms.

Rey could have remained there forever, reveling in the warmth of his touch and the safety of his embrace, but a sudden rush of dizziness caused her to waver. Her knees nearly buckled, and she tightened her arms around his neck in an effort to stay upright.

"Are you all right?" he asked, his brow furrowing in concern as he kept her steady.

"Yes, I…" She sighed and shook her head. "I guess I took a bit of a harder blow than I thought."

Extending his left hand behind him, he summoned his saber and hooked it back onto his belt. Then he was suddenly stooping and sweeping her up into his arms.

"Ben, what are you—? Put me down!"

He ignored her, lifting her like she weighed nothing and carrying her toward the _Falcon_.

"You're going to pay for this later," Rey growled.

"I look forward to it," he smirked, glancing at her with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

She blinked in surprise, her cheeks flushing as she quickly looked away. It wasn't until Ben had brought her up the ramp and into the ship that he appeared to truly comprehend where he was and what he was doing. He stopped just inside the doorway, his gaze wandering over the dirty, circular corridor with exposed wires and unpolished floors.

But Rey was distracted by a shrill, repetitive beeping sound that was coming from the cockpit. "Ben, do you hear that?"

There was a faraway look in his eyes, and he didn't respond.

" _Ben_ ," she repeated, squirming impatiently in his arms, "put me down please."

As if snapping out of a trance, he blinked and looked at her, then carefully lowered her onto her own feet once again. Ignoring the dots that were flickering in and out of her vision, Rey braced herself against the wall and hurried to the cockpit.

"Someone's left an urgent message!" she called back over her shoulder.

Pressing a button on the console, she watched as a hologram of Finn materialized in front of her. His features were grave, and her heart immediately plummeted as she braced herself for whatever bad news he was about to deliver.

"Rey, we're not going to make it to Malterra. Poe just made contact and informed us that a spy returned to him with rumors of an invasion. The First Order knows about our secret base, and they're gathering their forces for a final assault on Naboo. General Hux has declared himself the new Supreme Leader, and he's claiming that Kylo Ren was a traitor all along—that he was secretly working for the Resistance."

Finn paused and took a deep breath, and she saw the profound sadness in his eyes. "Poe told me about the surveillance footage. He said that you can't be trusted, but I don't know what to believe anymore. All I know is that Rose and I are turning around—we're going back to Naboo. I'm not sure how long we have to prepare before the First Order arrives, but we're going to make every second count. If you receive this message—if you're listening—then, Rey, please come. Please help us. The survival of the Rebellion is at stake."

The message ended. Rey released a shuddering exhale and lowered her head, shutting her eyes tight. She could sense Ben standing behind her, and she knew that he had heard everything.

"We have to go," she said at last, turning to face him. Her eyes were pleading, her voice trembling. "We have to help them."

"I agree," he replied.

She breathed a sigh of relief, tears welling in her eyes. It was true—he really had changed.

"Thank you," she smiled gratefully, dropping down into the pilot's seat and setting a course for Naboo.

When Rey noticed that he was still lingering at the back of the cockpit, she turned around in her chair and raised an eyebrow at him. "Aren't you coming?"

Ben swallowed, his eyes darting to her face. With a pang of guilt, she realized that he had been staring at the pair of golden dice hanging just above her head. Rey glanced away for a moment, uncertain, but then she had an idea.

Reaching up, she took the dice from their designated place and then stood, approaching him with them clasped safely in the palm of her hand.

"I think he would have wanted you to have them," she said softly.

Ben hesitated, his lip trembling slightly as she held out her hand. Rey gave him a small, encouraging smile, extending her arm just a bit further. He gazed silently at the golden cubes, years of pain dwelling in the depths of his dark eyes.

Finally, he raised his hand from his side, and she pressed the dice into his palm before he could change his mind. Then she gently curled his fingers over them, leaving her hand resting on top of his. Ben met her gaze, and she could feel a new sense of resolve growing inside him.

"Let's go," he murmured.

Rey nodded, returning to the pilot's chair. As she sat down and began activating the Falcon's systems, she heard him sink into the copilot's seat. A smile twitched at the corners of her mouth.

Indeed, the Force was far from being finished with Ben Solo.


	14. Chapter 14

Ben sat with his face in his hands, having spent the entire night restlessly pacing the Falcon's dimly lit corridors. He was no longer accustomed to its strange rattles and shudders as it hurtled through hyperspace. And what was worse—he imagined that he saw ghosts lurking around every corner. His father and Chewbacca. His mother and that irksome droid Threepio. Even Lando Calrissian, who he had not seen since he left to join Luke's training temple all those years ago.

Raising his head, Ben contemplated the empty hold as he sat on the edge of the worn cushions that formed a semicircle around the dejarik board. Despite the creaks and groans of the old freighter, the absence of voices—of movement—was unsettling. Nothing was as he remembered it, and he could not help but view himself as an intruder now—an outsider. It felt wrong to be on Han Solo's ship without him in it.

"Ben?"

Startled from his thoughts, he glanced to his left and saw Rey standing in the entryway. She blinked sleepily and rubbed her eyes.

"Is everything all right?"

"I'm…just thinking," he replied, suddenly realizing how long it had been since someone had bothered to ask him that question.

"About?"

Ben shook his head. "It's nothing."

Her brow furrowed, but she did not press him further. Instead, she made her way over to a nearby chair and started rummaging through the satchel that was perched on the seat of it. He watched her curiously, her back turned to him. Finally, Rey straightened and then faced him again, holding a nutrition bar in each hand.

"Here," she said, tossing him one.

Surprised, Ben caught it as she came over and sat down across from him, the dejarik board standing between them.

"Feeling better?" he inquired.

Rey had already torn off the wrapper and taken a large bite of her bar, so she merely smiled and nodded in response. Her cheeks were stuffed full, and a smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth as he looked away. Suddenly, the ship didn't feel so empty anymore.

"And you?" she asked once she had swallowed. "Did you get any rest?"

"No," he answered, munching quietly.

"Because of what happened on the Finalizer?"

Ben's chest tightened, and he stared at the floor. "In part."

"I'm sorry about your friends."

"They weren't my—" he stopped and sighed wearily. "Well, maybe they were once."

She did not pose anymore questions, and they ate the rest of their breakfast in silence. When she had finished, Rey sat back and crossed her arms over her chest. "I checked the navicomputer, and we've still got about twenty-four hours before we reach Naboo."

It was apparent from the look on her face that she was expecting something from him, so he raised an eyebrow at her. "And?"

" _Well_ ," she began with dramatic emphasis, "are you going to just sit there and stare at the wall?"

"I might."

Rey frowned at him, and Ben failed to conceal the teasing smile that was forming on his lips. She blinked, her green eyes widening slightly as she realized that he was baiting her.

"So, this is how it's going to be, is it?"

He shrugged and feigned innocence. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh?" She sat up a bit straighter and canted her head. "Well then, I suppose that _I'll_ be deciding how we pass the time."

"Be my guest," he replied, gesturing nonchalantly.

Rey looked around the hold, thinking, and finally, her gaze drifted down to the round board in front of her.

"Dejarik?" she suggested, glancing up at him.

Ben considered for a moment, then nodded. "All right."

She pressed a button, and eight holographic monsters appeared on the board's outer orbit. Observing the team that had been randomly assigned to him, he kept his face perfectly impassive as Rey leaned forward.

"Your move," she said.

**********

He sat with his elbow on the edge of the board, his hand propped against the side of his head. Her brow was furrowed, her eyes narrowed and her lips pressed into a hard line as she stared at the three remaining monsters on the board—just as she had been doing for the past five minutes.

"Rey—"

"Shut up, Ben," she warned.

With a heavy sigh, he leaned back against the seats and watched her. She was surrounded. There were only two options left for her Monnok—attack or flee. The first would end in a swift defeat, and the second would only delay the inevitable. But Rey was stubborn, and she was apparently convinced that if she thought long and hard enough, she could discover a third option.

He waited in silence until she finally decided to attack his Houjix. The Monnok savagely drove its spear through the blue quadruped's skull, eliminating it from the game. Now only the Monnok and Ben's Mantellian Savrip remained, and it was time to make his final move. Savagely, the Savrip picked up the smaller creature, tearing it in half.

Rey grimaced and crinkled her nose in disgust, a series of triumphant musical notes indicating that the match was over. Clearing his throat, Ben shifted and lowered his head in an effort to hide his grin.

" _Don't—you—dare._ "

"I didn't say anything," he chuckled, meeting her furious gaze.

"You thought about it."

He shook his head and laughed again as she continued to glare at him.

"You cheated, didn't you? You must've! We agreed— _no_ mind reading!"

"I didn't," Ben insisted.

"Then _how?_ " she demanded.

He took a deep breath, shrugged, and looked down at the board. "I played a lot when I was a kid, and…I had a good teacher."

Rey's accusations suddenly ceased. Finding that he was unable to raise his eyes, Ben swallowed and stared at the black and white pattern beneath his fingers.

_"Not bad, kid—but predictable. Let me show you a trick. Once you learn it, you'll never lose again."_

Something warm and soft touched the back of his hand, and he glanced up. Rey's much smaller hand was resting on top of his own, and he saw only compassion in her eyes. Her anger and frustration had faded away in an instant, and there was no bitterness—no resentment.

"How can you look at me like that?" Ben asked quietly. "After all the things I've done?"

"You started down the dark path a long time ago," she answered with a gentle smile. "To turn back now, after all those years—it takes strength and courage. And a good heart."

Sadly, he shook his head, his gaze never leaving hers. "I'm not good, Rey."

"Your actions prove otherwise. You killed Snoke to protect me. You saved me on Adamus _and_ on Chandrila. You were trying to make the galaxy a better place even before you left the First Order. And now that you have, you've chosen to stop them—to help the Rebellion defeat them once and for all."

He took no pride in her praise, because there was one simple truth underneath it all. One truth that she deserved to hear—and would hear—from him again and again until she finally understood just how much she meant to him.

Slowly, Ben turned his hand palm side up and tenderly grasped hers. The simple contact was enough to send a jolt of electricity up his arm, and she gave a soft gasp, glancing down for a moment before meeting his gaze again.

"Once, I told you that you came from nothing—that _you_ were nothing."

A lump was forming in his throat, and tears were welling in her eyes. Never letting go of her hand, Ben rose from his seat and moved to kneel in front of her.

"I've never been more wrong," he said, swallowing hard as the tears spilled down her cheeks. "Rey, you're everything. And without you, _I'm_ nothing."

She sniffed, and he reached up with his other hand, brushing her tears away with his thumb.

"For so long, I wanted to hear you say that you didn't mean it," she responded in a trembling voice. "I wanted to be someone. Someone important. Someone worthy of a Skywalker. I realize now that neither of us were ready. We both needed time to figure things out. Who we were supposed to be. Who the Force willed us to be."

She leaned forward, gripping his hand tighter as she gazed fervently into his eyes. "Now there's only one thing left standing in our way. When this war is finally over—we can be together. We won't have to fight anymore. We won't have to be separated ever again. We can live our lives in peace."

His face fell. "Rey, even if the Resistance accepts my help now, they'll never let me walk free once the conflict ends. I'm a war criminal. They'll want me to stand trial—"

" _No_ ," she interrupted firmly. "They'll see. They'll see that you've changed, and when you help them win the fight against the First Order, they will have no choice but to grant you your freedom."

"Rey—"

"They _will_ ," she persisted, her eyes blazing with stubborn determination.

Ben sighed, unwilling to argue with her further. "I hope you're right."


	15. Chapter 15

_Beep! Beep! Beep!_

Rey ran to the cockpit, hearing the console's frantic alert that someone was trying to contact them on the comm. It was the following morning, and they were no more than two standard hours from Naboo now. Jamming her palm against a large white button, she accepted the call, and her chest tightened as she suddenly found herself face to face with Finn.

"Rey!" he exclaimed, momentarily caught off guard. "Did you get my last message?"

"Yes," she nodded anxiously. "I'll be arriving on Naboo soon."

He paused and swallowed hard. "We just heard from Poe, and, Rey, the attack has already begun. The First Order has formed a blockade around the planet."

"What?" she exclaimed in dismay. "So quickly?"

"Rose and I will be there within the hour. We're going to try to make it past them."

"Have they deployed any ground troops?"

Finn shook his head. "Not yet. But they have a dreadnought, so Theed's deflector shields have been activated. Poe thinks that they're debating how to proceed."

"Well, we can't take down a dreadnought on our own," she replied, her hand propped thoughtfully beneath her chin. "Will the queen send her security forces to confront it?"

"No," he answered disappointedly. "She refuses to engage them unless the First Order tries to fire on her people."

Rey sighed and buried her face in her hands, massaging her aching forehead. Finally, she looked up and met his eyes again. "All right, then I suppose we have no choice but to return to the surface and hope that the First Order comes to us."

His brow furrowed, and she could tell that he was trying to smile for her sake. "We'll see you on the other side. Good luck, Rey. And may the Force be with you."

"You too," she said, managing a small smile in return.

His eyes shone as he gazed at her for a moment, and then he ended the call. She took a deep breath and sank into the pilot's seat, checking the navicomputer one last time.

"It would've been a good idea to tell them about me _before_ I walk into the palace," she heard Ben say behind her.

"Probably," Rey admitted. But the truth was that she couldn't bear to see the sense of betrayal in Finn's eyes—not right now. Not when she didn't know if this would be the last time she would ever see him.

"We'll drop out of hyperspace in less than two hours," she added, changing the subject, "and I'm guessing that we won't receive a warm welcome when we do."

His boots thudded on the durasteel floor as he approached. Coming to stand between the two seats, he placed one hand on the back of her chair and the other on the copilot's. "It'll be difficult to get through the blockade without a distraction."

"But not impossible," Rey responded, glancing up at him with a smile.

Ben looked down and met her gaze, an affectionate smirk playing on his lips.

"Are you any good at flying?" she asked, oblivious to how her innocently posed question might be perceived.

He laughed incredulously.

"What? I'm being serious!"

She stared at him as he leaned down toward her, his face inches from hers. Heat rose into her cheeks.

"I'm the best pilot in the galaxy," he purred, his brown gaze penetrating hers.

Rey's heart fluttered, but she refused to refused to break eye contact. "Have you ever flown the _Falcon?_ "

Caught off guard, Ben blinked and gave a slight shake of his head. "No."

Darkness had crept into his eyes, shadows of guilt and repressed memories. Even resentment.

"Would you like to?" she asked, hoping to lift his spirits.

"I…" he glanced uncertainly at the console, "I guess."

"Good," she replied promptly, "because I like being on the gun turret. So we have a plan then?"

After a moment's hesitation, he nodded. "Yeah."

**********

When they dropped out of hyperspace, the _Falcon_ nearly collided with a wall of Resurgent-class Star Destroyers. The dreadnought was positioned at the center of the blockade, its orbital cannons aimed toward Naboo's surface.

"All right," said Rey, rising swiftly, "it's time to make our run."

She moved out of the way, allowing Ben to shift from the copilot's position to the pilot's chair. He took a deep breath as he lowered himself into the seat, and she noticed that his fingers were trembling as he grasped the controls. Rey paused, then bent down and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"Good luck, _Captain Solo._ "

Without giving him a chance to respond, she straightened and turned, running out of the cockpit and through the corridor that would lead her to the access tube. When she reached the ladder, she climbed quickly down into the gun well and took up her position at the turret.

The First Order never attempted to make contact—never bothered to warn them that they should turn back. They knew the _Millennium Falcon_ , and they had no intention of allowing it to escape in one piece. Rey saw one of the Star Destroyers open fire, green bursts of energy flying toward her. But the _Falcon_ ducked beneath them, keeping just out of range of the cruisers' tractor beams.

"They're sending out fighters!" she called into her headset.

"I see them," Ben answered calmly, his voice crackling through the speaker.

The _Falcon_ made a sharp turn as TIEs swooped in from the left and the right, and she jammed her thumbs down on the triggers, sending her own red lasers flying back at them. One fighter exploded in a ball of flames, then two more at she eliminated both of them with a single blast.

"Nice shot," said Ben, and she could almost hear him smiling.

"Thanks," Rey responded with a smirk.

Suddenly, he flipped the _Falcon_ belly-up, and she found herself staring at the underside of a Star Destroyer as they passed over the swarming TIEs. Her orientation rotated again, and then they were behind them, having completed a 360-degree turn. She fired again, continuing to thin their numbers as several fighters peeled off from the main group and circled around behind them.

"I'm taking us down," he told her.

The _Falcon_ dipped into a nosedive, plummeting toward the planet's atmosphere. Rey swiveled the gun around and aimed it at the TIEs that still pursued them. She managed to pick off three more of them even as Ben guided the freighter through a series of elaborate maneuvers in a valiant effort to avoid the barrage of laserfire that was assailing them from above. But in the end, even his arsenal of clever tricks was unable to protect them from the sheer vastness of the force that sought to turn them into space dust.

One of the shots fired from the nearest Star Destroyer slashed the belly of the _Falcon_ , causing the freighter to shudder and blare shrill warnings at them. All Rey could see now was a trail of thick gray smoke and flashing sparks.

"Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," she grunted in response to his anxious inquiry, "but I can't see a thing."

"Come back to the cockpit. We're entering the atmosphere, and this could be a rough landing."

"On my way."

Yanking off her headset, she sprang out of her chair and scrambled back up the ladder. Then she returned to the cockpit.

Ben's fingers were flying over the controls, screens flashing and frantic beeps alerting them to the fact that multiple systems were damaged. White clouds were rushing past the viewport, and Rey wiped her sweating palms on her tunic as she slid into the copilot's seat.

"If your friends give us the same welcome as those Star Destroyers, we're going to be in real trouble," he said through gritted teeth, gripping the controls with white-knuckled hands as he fought to keep the freighter steady.

"They won't," she assured him.

The remaining TIEs had finally decided to turn back, unwilling to stray too far from the host ships. They had made it past the blockade, and now all they needed to do was ensure that they landed the _Falcon_ in one piece.

As they broke through the last of the clouds, Rey saw green hills and mountains rolling below them, winding rivers and lakes glittering in the light of the rising sun. Situated atop a vast plateau was the grand city of Theed, sheltered beneath a massive dome of rippling energy.

"You're sure that we'll be able to pass through?" Ben asked apprehensively.

"Yes," she nodded as she did what she could to stabilize the _Falcon's_ faltering functions. "It only protects against plasma and laser weapons—not ordinary physical objects."

"All right…"

She could see the uncertainty flickering in his eyes, but he clenched his jaw and focused all of his attention on the rapidly approaching palace hangar. The battered old freighter lurched and jolted, the straining groans coming from its durasteel skeleton causing Rey to wonder—once again—if it was going to hold together. She clutched the arms of her chair, holding her breath as the deflector shield loomed directly ahead.

But they slipped through unscathed, and she exhaled, her tensed shoulders relaxing. Their speed was slowing, the yawning mouth of the hangar growing larger and larger until it swallowed the entire viewport.

"Ben?" she questioned nervously, noting that he had pressed the same button three times.

His eyes narrowed as he slammed his palm against it in frustration. "The landing gear's jammed."

"Oh, wonderful," Rey responded sarcastically.

"Hold on," he muttered, biting his lip in concentration.

A second later, the _Falcon's_ exposed belly hit the floor of the hangar, scraping and sliding across its smooth surface with a terrible grating noise. She cringed, wishing that she could shut her eyes, but they were skidding dangerously close to the interior doors. Fearing that they would crash into them, she cried out in alarm. But at the last possible moment, the freighter's momentum ground to a screeching halt.

Silence fell.

Her chest was heaving, her eyes wide as she stared through the viewport. Finally, she blinked and glanced over. Ben was breathing hard, having released the controls and leaned back against his chair. His gaze met hers, and they shared a look of mutual astonishment and relief.

Then, quite unexpectedly, Rey laughed. It was a gleeful and unrestrained thing that surprised even herself. "We did it!" she exclaimed.

Ben smiled back at her, locks of disheveled black hair falling over his eyes.

But their moment of triumph was suddenly interrupted as the interior doors opened. Rey turned to look, her expression darkening as she saw rebel troops and members of Queen Vashti's Royal Security Forces advancing on the _Falcon_ with their weapons drawn. The man leading them was none other than Poe Dameron.

Ben tensed beside her, and she swallowed hard. "Oh no."


	16. Chapter 16

Ben took a deep breath, bracing himself for what was sure to come. As soon as they disembarked, the soldiers were there to surround them. But they had come prepared to apprehend Rey—not the former Supreme Leader of the First Order. He saw them exchange frightened glances, sensed their dread and dismay. But Poe Dameron, the Resistance pilot turned general, stared at him in stunned silence. His dark eyes were wide—first with shock, then with anger.

"Surrender your weapons," he managed finally, "or we will open fire."

"Poe—" Rey began, taking a furious step toward him.

"Now!" he interrupted sternly.

"Rey…" Ben reached out and grasped her arm, causing her to glance back at him. With his other hand, he unhooked his lightsaber from his belt, and his eyes implored her to do the same.

Reluctantly, she followed his example, and his gaze shifted back to Dameron. The rebel's blaster was still aimed at his chest.

"Drop them on the ground," he ordered, "and put your hands behind your head."

They did as they were told, but Rey's glaring gaze never left Poe's face.

He nodded to his comrades. "Arrest them."

Ben remained perfectly still as four rebel soldiers advanced, but his gaze followed them as two circled behind him. Suddenly, a sharp kick drove him to his knees, and he grimaced as a pair of cuffs were roughly clamped around his wrists.

"Leave him alone!" Rey snapped, remaining on her feet while the other two rebels slapped cuffs on her. "I wouldn't have made it here without him!"

"Yeah," said Poe as one of his men handed him their lightsabers, "that's what I'm afraid of."

"Where are you taking us?" she demanded.

"To the queen. She's requested to speak with you personally."

The soldiers reached down to haul Ben to his feet, but he shrugged them off and stood of his own accord. Then they shoved him forward, and he walked beside Rey as Poe and the queen's security forces led them from the hangar and into the palace.

**********

Ben had seen few places during his life that rivaled the majestic beauty of Chandrila, but Naboo was one of them. He had only been able to afford a quick glance at its peaceful countryside as they landed, but now he was being given an extended opportunity to admire the splendor of Theed Palace firsthand. Gray marble floors and grand halls lined with towering columns and windows. Rich velvet curtains dyed the deepest and most vibrant shade of scarlet. Monumental statues bathed in golden morning light.

For a brief time, he nearly forgot that he was a prisoner. But then they finally stopped in front of a pair of sealed doors, and Poe turned to face him.

"Try anything," he warned, "and it'll be the last move you ever make."

Ben said nothing in reply, and Rey shifted irritably as one of the security officers entered a code into a nearby access panel. The doors hissed open, and they marched inside, Ben feeling the ever-present nozzle of a blaster pressing into his back. The chamber beyond was bright and open, having a high, vaulted ceiling and an enormous arched window that lay directly ahead of them. He blinked and squinted, temporarily blinded by the intense sunlight pouring through and washing over him. As he carefully climbed the steps of a wide staircase, his eyes began to adjust, and by the time he reached the top, the rest of the room was slowly coming into focus.

Seated behind a substantial desk was the queen herself, and she was flanked by two handmaidens who sat in chairs on her left and her right. Vashti's face was painted according to the tradition of the Naboo royalty, her gleaming copper locks twisted up and around a golden headdress. Ben noted that her features were young but solemn and wise beyond her years. And though she was clearly stunned to see him walking into her throne room, he perceived no threat from her.

"Finn! Rose! You made it!"

Rey's relieved exclamation caused him to look to his right. Standing amongst more of the queen's guards, he saw the former stormtrooper—FN-2187. The traitor.

An old grudge reawakened inside him, his bound hands balling into fists behind his back.

"Rey, what is he doing here?"

Finn was obviously shaken, and Ben saw the woman next to him take hold of his arm.

"He's come to help us," Rey replied, her eyes wide with urgency as they begged not just him—but everyone in the room—to believe her.

"Has he?" Poe challenged. "Or has he used you to infiltrate our ranks and destroy us from the inside?"

"That's not true!" she protested, her voice rising. "You saw the evidence. I saw it on Chandrila. He was changing things for the better—that's why the First Order cast him out!"

"But it could all be a ruse, Rey! That's what you're not getting."

"I understand perfectly well what you're implying," she shot back. "I just don't believe it."

"Oh?" Dameron took a step toward her, causing Ben's muscles to tense. "And how do we know that we can believe you? When we know that you've been conspiring with him since Snoke's death—if not before?"

"You should thank us," she retorted. "We did what you never could."

Poe flinched, his jaw clenching as he drew back and placed his hands on his hips. Rey's eyes fearlessly burned, the slightest of twitches tugging at the corners of her mouth. Ben felt a ripple of satisfaction run through her as she realized that she had successfully wounded the general's pride.

"Enough—please."

The entire room fell silent at the sound of Vashti's composed interjection.

"Let us discuss this matter civilly, or not at all."

Poe glanced back at her, then swallowed and appeared to be ashamed of himself. "Sorry, Your Majesty."

Rey took a deep breath and shifted her gaze to the queen.

"Shortly after you departed for the hangar, General Dameron, I was contacted by Supreme Leader Hux," Vashti said. "He has offered to come to the palace to personally engage in negotiations between the First Order and the Rebellion. He claims to desire an end to this conflict."

Poe shook his head and turned to face her. "With all due respect, Your Highness, it's not much of a negotiation with a dreadnought sitting on our doorstep."

"The dreadnought cannot penetrate our shields," she countered calmly. "For now, we are at a stalemate."

"If there's one thing I know about Hux," Ben intervened before he could stop himself, "it's that he never negotiates."

"My apologies," the queen replied, addressing him for the first time. "I don't believe we've been properly introduced, Kylo Ren."

"My name is Ben Solo," he corrected, politely but assertively. "Son of Han Solo and Leia Organa."

"So it's true then," she mused, making no attempt to disguise the wonder in her voice.

He paused and considered his next words carefully, knowing that if he was going to convince her of the sincerity of his intentions, now was his chance.

"Thirty years ago," he began earnestly, "my mother helped drive the Empire from your planet. She fought to free your people from tyranny and oppression, and I will do the same. I acknowledge that the crimes I've committed are inexcusable, but if you'll allow me, I will atone for them by ending the ruthless regime I once served."

"How dare you?" Poe burst, unable to contain himself any longer. "How dare you come here, to one of the last democratic strongholds in the entire galaxy, and claim that you care about sovereignty? That you care about the people who are suffering?"

Ben clenched his jaw and raised his chin as Dameron stormed toward him, jabbing his finger at his face.

"You've murdered _thousands!_ You—you've murdered my friends! The father that you claim to be so proud of? You killed him too, like the coward that you are!"

It took all of Ben's willpower not to strangle him where he stood, or crush him against the nearest column, or better yet— _no._ He couldn't give in to his hatred—not anymore.

" _General!_ "

Poe turned sharply on his heel. The queen had risen from her throne, her eyes flashing dangerously.

"If you cannot control yourself, I will have you escorted out of this room. Do you understand?"

The rebel's hands were balled into fists at his sides, his entire body trembling with anger. But finally, he nodded and hung his head, turning his back on Ben and walking away. Vashti inhaled slowly and deeply, and Ben saw her frustration melting away as she exhaled. Her shoulders relaxed, and she met his gaze once more.

"If your offer is indeed genuine, then it is admirable. But as I have stated before, I will avoid violent confrontation if at all possible. Therefore, it is my belief that we should agree to meet with the First Order's representatives, here within the walls of the palace."

"What if the negotiations fall through?" Rey inquired. "What if it's a trap?"

"Then we will have them surrounded," the queen answered with a clever gleam in her eyes, "and we will hold their Supreme Leader hostage until they agree to disband their blockade and leave this planet in peace."

Ben sighed. It wasn't a perfect plan. There were a lot of ways it could go wrong, but at this point, they didn't have many options left. The blockade needed to be dealt with, and even with the aid of the Resistance, the queen's forces would be no match for the military might of the First Order. As much as he hated to admit it, Vashti was right.

They had no choice.


	17. Chapter 17

Rey stood at Vashti's right hand, now freed from her bonds. Her lightsaber had been returned to her at the queen's bidding, for she believed that she could have no better protector than a Jedi. Ben, however, was still in cuffs and remained under heavy guard, much to Rey's disapproval. But Vashti refused to release him until he had proven his loyalty—until the meeting with Hux had been concluded without a trap being sprung.

Poe was on the queen's left, his fingers restlessly tapping against the grip of his blaster. Rey knew that he didn't like this—not one bit. He didn't trust Hux, and she couldn't blame him. But the self-declared Supreme Leader had recently arrived on a small, _Upsilon_ -class shuttle and would be accompanied by no more troops than he could fit inside it. He was vastly outnumbered.

So why couldn't she shake the uneasy feeling that had settled inside her gut? Glancing sideways, she saw that Finn was very specifically _not_ looking in her direction. Rose, however, leaned past him and gave her a sympathetic yet encouraging smile. Rey managed a weak smile in return, but something was wrong—she was certain of it. What was the Force trying to tell her?

Instinctively, her gazed shifted to the other side of the room and met Ben's. He felt it too—the imbalance. The unnatural silence as the Force itself seemed to hold its breath. Something was coming.

The doors opened, and every head turned as Hux entered the throne room, accompanied by a squadron of stormtroopers. They had been escorted from the hangar by some of Vashti's royal guards, who marched in front of and behind them.

Though she had never met him, Rey recognized Hux from HoloNet vids, and she had heard enough about him and his despicable deeds to make her blood boil when she saw him. But she took a deep, calming breath and reminded herself to stay focused. There could be no room for error with the life of the queen—and the life of the Rebellion itself—at stake.

"Supreme Leader Hux." Vashti greeted him with a gracious smile and a polite inclination of her head, but she did not rise from her throne.

The guards blocking his path stepped aside, allowing Hux to gaze upon the queen directly. He took one step forward, his pale hands clasped behind his back and his pointed chin held high. "Queen Vashti—we meet at last. It is unfortunate that our first introduction is to be conducted amidst such… _unpleasant_ circumstances."

"Unfortunate indeed." she responded with the slightest hint of skepticism. "Perhaps you would care to explain why you have formed a blockade around Naboo?"

He gave a mirthless laugh. "This is war, Your Highness, is it not? And you are harboring traitors. Vile terrorists who plague the galaxy with chaos and senseless violence."

Rey heard Poe shift and huff angrily under his breath, but he held his tongue for the queen's sake.

"That is how you view them, yes," Vashti replied calmly, "but there are many who would say the same of you. So, for the sake of our negotiations, let us dispense with the obligatory accusations and address the matter at hand."

Hux's jaw clenched, and his eyes narrowed. "Very well."

Suddenly, his gaze flicked to his right, and he noticed Ben for the first time. He instantly recoiled, his lip curling.

"What is _he_ doing here?"

"He surrendered himself to us," the queen answered with undisguised admiration in her voice. "He has recognized the wrongness of his past actions and wishes to atone for them."

"Ha!" Hux scoffed, adjusting the collar of his long black coat. "He is a coward and a liar—a stray dog with no one left to claim him."

"Better to be a lone wolf with a mind of his own rather than one who has deluded himself into thinking that he's leader of the pack." Rey had spoken before she could stop herself, biting out each word with as much scorn as she could muster. "But he's not alone, and you're no leader."

"And who might you— _ah_ yes." Hux stopped and sneered with sickening pleasure. "I know who you are. Who could have guessed that a simple scavenger from Jakku would become such a persistent thorn in our side? You would have been eliminated, weak and insignificant as you are, if not for Ren's more… _carnal_ inclinations. It should come as no surprise, I suppose, that someone as trifling and destitute as yourself would become his trull."

The Force moved, violently and unexpectedly. Rey felt a swell of anger, jagged pulses ripping through the air as Hux began to clutch at his throat. Gasping and sputtering, he collapsed onto his knees, and the stormtroopers raised their weapons. Her gaze flicked to Ben's face, and she saw that his brow was furrowed in concentration, his dark eyes simmering. Without hesitation, she stepped forward and urgently extended her hand toward him.

"Ben."

She stared at him, aghast, when he didn't seem to hear her.

"Ben, _stop!_ "

His eyes snapped to hers. The embers burning inside them were instantly extinguished, and Hux fell forward, released from his ruthless grip. Heart pounding, Rey looked around the room and saw that every blaster was aimed at Ben.

"No—don't shoot!" she pleaded, moving between him and the stormtroopers.

"Lower your weapons," Vashti commanded. " _All_ of you."

Slowly, her own soldiers obeyed, but Hux's did not.

"Rey…"

A pang of concern rippled through the Force as Ben tried to step toward her, but the queen's guards held him back. Coughs wracked Hux's body, several displaced locks of hair falling over his forehead. When he was finally able to catch his breath again, his enraged eyes rose to Vashti's.

"Can you not keep your captive on his _leash?_ "

"I warned you not to continue with your reckless insults," she responded coolly. "It is foolish of you to provoke your enemies to anger while claiming that you have come to negotiate."

Startled, Rey glanced down as a small device fastened around Hux's wrist started to beep and flash with a bright red light.

He smirked and climbed to his feet, dusting off his already spotless tunic. "Well, I'm afraid that's just the thing, Your Majesty. I haven't come to negotiate."

She snatched her lightsaber from her belt and ignited its blue blades, but the queen held out a hand and bid her to wait. Vashti's expression had grown solemn, her lips pressed into a hard line.

"Then for what purpose have you come?"

There was a wicked gleam in his gaze as it shifted to the window behind her. "You'll see soon enough."

For the first time, Rey saw a flicker of fear in Vashti's eyes as she swiftly rose from her throne and turned around. The view of their surroundings beyond the glass panes was mostly obscured by the exterior walls of adjacent structures, but high above them, a sliver of the rippling deflector shield was visible.

_BOOM!_

Rey gasped, feeling a disturbance in the Force that sent a chill down her spine. Seconds later, the ground beneath them trembled. The windows shook, and when she looked up again, the shield had vanished. The queen stared in horror.

"What have you done?" Poe demanded furiously.

"Your precious shield is no more," Hux gloated, "and now there is nothing preventing my forces from obliterating the entire city."

Anxiously, Rey glanced back at Ben. She knew that look—he was planning something.

"This is your final chance to surrender," Hux went on gleefully. "If you do, perhaps I will consider sparing your pathetic lives."

Poe drew his blaster in an act of shameless defiance. "We'll take our chances."

Scowling darkly, Hux jabbed his finger at the rebel general. "Kill them! Kill them all!"

"Look out!" Poe cried, tackling Vashti to the floor behind her desk as blasterfire peppered the throne and shattered glass.

Rey sprang into action, deflecting a series of shots from Hux's pistol, and he quickly backed away from her. The stormtroopers advanced, covering him, and Vashti's forces moved to defend their queen. Red and green bolts flashed by Rey's face as she ducked and twirled her blades, taking down two of Hux's men. A moment later, she heard the deep thrum of a crossguard saber igniting behind her. And then Ben was fighting at her side, having freed himself from his cuffs and retrieved his confiscated weapon.

"We have to evacuate the city!" Rey called to him over the ringing of blasterfire.

"They'll be wiped out by the blockade!" he shouted back, thrusting his silver blade through the torso of a stormtrooper. "We need to call for reinforcements!"

"Already done!" Poe announced, bracing his blaster on top of the desk as he fired.

"What?" Vashti exclaimed. "I never approved—"

"I'm sorry, Your Highness! I did it as a precaution!"

"Well, for once, I suppose I'm grateful that you decided to take matters into your own hands!"

After Force pushing a trooper into a nearby column, Rey saw the last one get gunned down by the queen's guards. Now only Hux remained.

"I suggest you surrender, _Supreme Leader_ ," she growled.

His nose wrinkled with disdain, but he dropped his weapon.

"Cuff him," Poe ordered.

Two of the remaining rebel soldiers did as he commanded, and Rey deactivated her saber. Deep rumblings could now be heard outside the palace, in addition to the screaming of TIE fighters and of living beings as the First Order began to bombard the city.

"They won't destroy the palace with Hux still inside," Ben said, "but that doesn't mean they won't burn everything else in their path."

"We've got to rally our forces," Finn declared urgently. "We have to save as many people as we can."

Vashti nodded in agreement. "I will deploy my pilots and security forces."

Ben suddenly lowered his head and looked toward the stairs. Concerned, Rey stepped closer to him.

"What is it?" she asked quietly.

"They're here," he murmured.

Her brow furrowed. "Who?"

"The Knights of Ren."

Rey's eyes widened. "Inside the palace?"

He nodded.

"Then we have to stop them."

Quickly, she turned and addressed the queen. "Your Majesty, Ben believes that some very powerful, very dangerous Force users have entered the palace. You must remain here, where it's safe, while we go and confront them."

"Then you'll want to take these," Vashti replied, retrieving two comlinks from inside her desk.

Rey smiled gratefully as the queen approached her and held out the small communication devices. "Yes, thank you," she said, accepting one for herself and handing the other to Ben.

"Finn, Rose, and the others are going to assist the troops on the front lines," Poe told her, "but I'm staying here with the Security Forces to ensure that the queen—and our hostage—remain unharmed."

She nodded. "We'll stay in touch. Good luck—to all of you."

Finn's gaze met hers, but he glanced away. She swallowed and sadly hung her head, then looked up again as she heard him grunt irritably. Rose had sharply jabbed an elbow into his side, and he eyed her grumpily, massaging his wounded ribs. Finally, he looked at Rey again and cleared his throat.

"Uh…yeah. Be careful."

She managed a small smile in response before turning toward the stairs. "Let's go, Ben."

He fell into step beside her, but just as they began their descent—

"Rey!"

She paused and glanced back. For the first time since he had learned the truth—the first time since he had realized that she lied to him—Finn had allowed his anger to fade. His features were open and earnest again, as she remembered them.

"May the Force be with you."

"You too," she answered warmly.

It was their tradition. Every time they parted ways before a mission, one of them would say it to the other. Those simple yet profound words were always enough. And as Rey departed the throne room, her steps felt lighter. She stood straighter, held her chin a little higher, and reminded herself to have faith. That they would be victorious. That this time, their calls for aid would not go unanswered. That help was on the way.


	18. Chapter 18

As they made their way through the palace's maze of marble corridors, Ben could hear the sounds of battle raging just beyond its walls. But its halls had fallen eerily silent and were completely abandoned—save for the bodies of many dead guards that they discovered along the way.

"We should've had the shield more heavily defended," Rey said suddenly, her hands clenched in frustration. "We could've had Hux's ship checked more thoroughly, or—"

"What's done is done," he interjected. "And the fault is mine. I should have realized that the knights were here sooner. I could've stopped them."

"Well, we _were_ a little distracted."

He looked down at her, and she gave him a reassuring glance. At that moment, they passed through golden beams of sunlight that were streaming through the window beside them, and Ben felt as if his heart had stopped. Rey was wreathed in a heavenly glow, her green eyes sparkling as they gazed into his. She was so beautiful. More than that—she was breathtaking.

"Ben?" Her brow furrowed in concern, and she canted her head. "What is it?"

He cleared his throat and returned his attention to what was in front of him. "Uh…nothing."

"All right then," she shrugged.

Taking a deep breath, he reminded himself to stay focused and reached out with the Force. The knights were very close now, so close that—

They rounded the corner, and Ben froze. There, at the far end of the corridor, were Cassus and Deroph—racing toward them. He instinctively raised his arm in front of Rey's chest, and she halted. Catching sight of them, the knights skidded to a stop and snatched their lightsabers from their belts. Ben and Rey responded in kind, his silver and her blue blades springing to life.

"We can take them," she growled, flourishing her weapon and then gripping its long hilt with both hands. "We've triumphed over worse odds."

"Don't underestimate them," he warned.

Suddenly sensing a presence behind them, he spun on his heel. Morvis had just emerged from a nearby doorway, and he took one quick look at them before dashing down the hall they had just come from.

"He's heading for the throne room," Ben realized. "You have to stop him."

"What?" she exclaimed incredulously. "Not without—"

"Rey, he'll slaughter them. You have to go now!"

"Yes, and you're coming with me," she insisted stubbornly. "I'm not leaving y—"

He silenced her with a firm kiss on the lips, not caring who was watching. "I'll come back, sweetheart. I promise."

"You better," she muttered, staring up at him with a confused mixture of fear and fury in her eyes.

Finally, Rey turned and started running. As she disappeared around the corner, Ben faced the approaching knights, his saber humming at his side.

"Well, would you look at that?" Cassus scoffed, his voice deep and metallic as it emerged from behind his black mask. "It didn't take you long to become the rebels' watchdog, did it? And you failed even at that."

Ben tilted his head and raised an eyebrow. "Don't get ahead of yourself. The battle's just beginning."

"Ha!" the knight jeered. "It is already over. The palace will soon be ours, and we will put the queen's head on a pike—right beside your precious Jedi's!"

An angry knot formed in Ben's chest, his vengeful instincts threatening to resurface. But then he heard a quiet voice enter his mind like a peacefully flowing river.

_"Mercy over vengeance. Love over hate."_

That was his motivation. That was his aim. Not killing these men who had once been his friends—but saving the Rebellion. Saving the woman he _loved._

A wave of calm washed over him, and Ben found his center as his opponents charged. Thinking quickly, his eyes darted to a nearby statue that stood against the wall on his left. He reached out with his free hand, using the Force to bring it crashing down in the knights' path. Deroph vaulted over it, but Cassus leaped high into the air, gripping his saberstaff with both hands and raising it above his head. As he came down, Ben sidestepped, and one of the crimson blades plunged into the marble floor.

Making a swift diagonal slash with his own weapon, Ben sliced his enemy's saber in half and nearly did the same to his body. But Cassus twisted and flipped above the silver blade, and it passed through nothing but the fringes of his black robes. In evading the attack, he was compelled to relinquish his hold on the lower half of his weapon. It spun upward out of his grasp and landed in Ben's waiting hand.

Quickly, he turned and flung it toward Deroph. The knight dove over the spinning saber, dropping into a forward roll as Ben parried a strike from Cassus. With a fierce growl, he shoved his foe backwards and wheeled to meet Deroph's blade. As he did, Cassus' severed hilt returned to his left hand, forcing Deroph to duck in order to keep his head.

Ben's movements became a deadly dance, swift but powerful blows following one after another—relentless and calculated. He was constantly discovering new weaknesses in his opponents' defenses and assessing their responses to his techniques, always seeking openings that would give him the advantage. Deroph, for instance, was overly aggressive and relied too heavily upon his physical strength. Thus, when he aimed to deliver a mighty overhead blow, Ben used his momentum against him. Evading the attack, he slipped behind his enemy and dealt a devastating blow.

Both sabers sliced through Deroph's back, and he stumbled forward. Hitting the floor with a heavy thud, he moved no more. Cassus roared, summoning his fallen comrade's weapon to his free hand and using the other to send Ben careening backwards with a powerful Force push. Slamming into the broken statue behind him, all breath was driven from his lungs. The red saber deactivated and dropped from his grasp. As he slid down to the floor, it rolled out of his reach.

Ben tried to inhale, but no air entered his body. Heart pounding, he tightened his grip on his lightsaber and started to swing. But a black boot crushed his forearm against the effigy and pinned it down. Cassus crossed the two crimson blades in front of Ben's throat, and he could feel the knight's blazing wrath.

"It…isn't too late for you," he gasped, finally managing to force a breath into his lungs.

"You would appeal to my humanity?" Cassus sneered. "I have none left. It was you who taught me to eliminate the weak, to kill without mercy— _remember?_ "

"I led…all of you astray," Ben admitted with a shuddering exhale, "and there is…little I regret more."

"We followed you, even after you committed treason! You had the galaxy in your grasp, and you abandoned your power—your authority! You turned your back on us, and for what?"

"There are more important things," Ben answered, gazing steadily into the eyes that he knew still lingered behind the faceless mask.

Cassus snarled. "I no longer recognize you. But because of who you once were—our leader, our master—I will end your life quickly!"

A pang of sorrow stabbed through Ben's chest as he realized that Cassus was going to leave him with no other choice. "I'm sorry," he said.

_Hiss!_

Suddenly, the hilt that had been spinning through the air behind Cassus activated. He was beheaded by his own lightsaber, and his body collapsed onto the floor. Breathing heavily, Ben switched off his silver blade and lay there for several moments, unwilling to get up. Death followed him like a shadow. Even now, he could not escape it.

They were gone now—all of Luke's former students. He was the last of them. The only remaining survivor.

"Ben? Ben, are you there?"

He bolted upright, grimacing as sharp pain pierced his side. Snatching the comlink from his belt, he activated it and raised it to his lips. "I'm here, Rey. Are you all right?"

"Yes, and the knight is dead. But…but Hux got away."

" _What?_ "

She was out of breath, and it sounded like she was running. "There…there was an ambush. Stormtroopers with explosives. Many of Vashti's guards were killed."

Gritting his teeth, Ben got to his feet. "Where are you now?"

"We're on our way to the hangar. With Hux gone, there's no guarantee that…that they won't destroy the palace."

"You'd better get there fast," Finn's voice cut in suddenly, "cause we've got a very big problem arriving as we speak. The dreadnought is here, and it's taking up position near the palace."

" _Blast!_ " she exclaimed. "Where is our fleet?"

"I don't know," he answered despondently, "but without it, we're sitting ducks. We can't hope to match firepower of that magnitude."

"There must be something we can do!"

Ben's heart plummeted as he heard the despair in her voice.

"All we can do is just…get as many people out of Theed as we can," Finn replied. "I'm—I'm sorry, Rey."

There was a long pause.

"Ben?" Her voice cracked this time. "You get to the hangar as fast as you can—do you hear me?"

He nodded even though he knew she couldn't see him. "I hear you. I'll be there soon."

"All right. We'll—we'll be waiting for you."

Deactivating his comlink, he lowered it to his side and took a deep, trembling breath. Guilt gnawed at him. He had never lied to her—not once—and the pain of doing it now was nearly too much for him to bear.

But if the dreadnought was indeed moving into position, then it was already far too late for an evacuation. The people of Theed would be slaughtered. The rebel forces would be wiped out. And Rey…

Ben shut his eyes, unable to complete the thought. If there was anyone who could stop the dreadnought, it was him, and that was exactly what he intended to do. It was a risky idea. The odds weren't good. But what choice did he have?

Perhaps this was what he had been meant to do all along.

One last chance. One last chance to do what was right. To preserve the dream of a free galaxy—what his mother and his father had fought and died for. What his uncle had died for. What his _grandfather_ had died for.

They had all gone before him, and now, his time had come. He would finish what they had started.

**********

"The dreadnought's going to fire!"

"Where is Supreme Leader Hux? Has he given the order?"

"No! No one's heard from him since the fighting broke out!"

"It's the generals. It must be! They're going to kill us all!"

The panicked voices were coming from a comlink that lay inches from the gloved fingers of a fallen stormtrooper, and Ben shook his head as he listened. The First Order was rotting from the inside out. It had no leadership, and its forces were in complete disarray.

Having heard enough to further appraise himself of the situation, Ben raced down the hallway, then exited the palace through a side door. When he emerged into the bright sunlight, he squinted and shielded his face with his hand, finding himself standing on a long permacrete platform that separated the hangar from the river that ran through the city.

A screaming TIE fighter dipped in front of him, nearly skimming the surface of the water as it pursued a Naboo starfighter. Wind rushed through his hair and robes, and once the ships passed him by, he saw the battle raging across the river. Green and red blasterfire. Smoke billowing from burning structures. Unarmed civilians fleeing for their lives.

Ben's jaw clenched, and his eyes narrowed with grim determination as he looked to his left. _There._ Past the waterfall and out over the vast green hills that lay beyond, the dreadnought loomed. A black and ominous harbinger of death, its enormous shadow darkened the land.

"Ben, are you almost here? We need to get the queen out of the city _now!_ "

As Rey's voice crackled through the comlink, his throat constricted. Swallowing hard, he walked to the edge of the platform and stared down the angular nose of the dreadnought. He could scarcely hear her above the roar of the waterfall.

"Ben? Ben, can you hear me?"

His heart was breaking, tears welling in his eyes as he extended his arms in front of his chest and braced himself. This was his only chance to save her, and he would do it—no matter what the cost.

Breathing hard, Ben closed his eyes and opened himself to the Force. He immersed himself in its energy, feeling it flowing in the water, in the air, in every heartbeat. And it was drawn to him like a beacon of light in the dark, the sheer magnitude of it threatening to overwhelm him. Like one caught in the middle of a storm, he struggled to stay afloat, tossed about by waves larger and far more powerful than himself.

_"Don't fight it,"_ Anakin urged. _"Surrender to its current. You are its vessel."_

But fear held him back, his outstretched fingers trembling. _"I can't let go. What if I lose myself?"_

_"You will find yourself—your true self. Remember, the Force is balance."_

Ben's heart pounded in his ears, and behind his closed lids, he saw Rey's face. "Let me save her," he murmured desperately. "Please."

And then, he let the current take him. He sucked in a sharp breath as strength coursed through his veins. Every sound was suddenly amplified, and he became aware of the vibrations of every atom in the air around him.

_"Breathe,"_ Luke reminded him. _"Just breathe."_

In and out. In and out. Slower. Deeper.

Finally, Ben opened his eyes. The dreadnought's autocannons were aimed toward Theed, and he sensed that they were preparing to fire. But now, he was ready for them.

Four blasts shattered the air. Fiery streaks of energy launched from the cannons and sped toward him. He had only a moment to react.

Reaching out, Ben pushed back against their momentum. Sweat beaded on his brow, his teeth clenched as his arms began to shake. They were still coming, but they were starting to slow down. His chest heaved, and he hardened his will further. Groaning from the effort, Ben stared up at them as they descended like flaming meteors.

His legs began to quake, and he swayed. _No! Hold on!_ Thrusting his hands out even farther, he strained with every fiber of his being. Just a bit more…

At last, the projectiles ground to a halt. Hovering in the sky above him, they wavered, burning and pulsing with staggering heat and firepower. A shiver ran through him, sweat streaming down his temples as he kept them in place. _Almost there._

Summoning all that remained of his strength, Ben made a shoving motion with his arms and reversed the blazing missiles' direction. Now, their energy was unleashed, and they shot back the way they had come. The projectiles pierced the hull of the dreadnought like flaming javelins, leaving gaping, deadly wounds in their wake. A chain of explosions was triggered, and the mighty ship began to dip downward.

Ben's shoulders sagged, his arms falling back to his sides as he finally released his hold. Exhaustion overcame him, and he collapsed onto his knees. The dreadnought plunged toward the earth, and he watched its descent through rapidly blurring vision. Breathing a weary sigh of relief, Ben saw it crash. Saw it erupt with a flash so brilliant that it temporarily blotted out the sun, the flames of its destruction rising to the heavens.

Clouds of dust and smoke rippled outward, a deep rumble filling his ears as the ground beneath him trembled. And now that it was gone, now that he knew Rey was safe—at least for now—his eyelids became impossibly heavy. He bowed his head, his breaths weak and shallow as darkness began to swallow him.

" _Ben!_ "

He raised his head, his eyes flying open again as the sound of her frantic voice awakened him. A second later, something sharp and metal was thrust between his shoulder blades, tearing through fabric and flesh.

" _No!_ "

The weapon was ripped from his back, and Ben fell forward onto his hands and knees. Then with a last, shuddering gasp, he hit the permacrete and saw no more.


	19. Chapter 19

Hux whirled to face her as Ben collapsed, the knife dripping with blood. There was a manic look in his eyes. Thrusting both hands toward him, Rey unleashed a terrible scream and a Force push that lifted him off his feet and launched him backwards. Hux flailed helplessly, his lips parting in silent terror when he realized what was about to happen. Then he disappeared over the cliff's edge, and she heard his echoing cry of panic as he plunged to a watery grave.

Her hands returned to her sides, her gaze falling to Ben's motionless form. She couldn't breathe, couldn't think, and as Rey ran toward him, everything around her slowed to a crawling pace. She was aware of nothing else—could see nothing else.

When she reached his side, she dropped to her knees and placed her hands on his back. "Ben?"

He didn't respond, and Rey looked down at her palms. They were soaked with blood— _his_ blood. Her chest clenched painfully, and with some effort, she managed to roll him over. His eyes were closed, locks of black hair plastered to his forehead.

" _Ben!_ " she pleaded desperately. "Wake up!"

She shook him, leaning down close to his face as tears spilled down her cheeks. Finally, his eyelids fluttered open, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Rey…"

"Yes, I'm here," she assured him. "Everything's going to be all right. I'll get you to a medic and—"

"I think we both know," he paused and inhaled a rattling breath, "it's too late for that."

Rey shook her head. " _No._ You promised. You promised me."

Ben lifted a trembling hand and caressed her cheek. "But you're safe now. That's…all I wanted."

"And what about what _I_ want?" Her voice cracked, and more tears welled in her eyes. "I need you. You can't…you can't leave me here alone."

"Rey, you saved me from—" he shuddered and fought to keep going. "—from a life of darkness. Let me save you just…just this once."

She grasped his hand in both of hers, clutching it against her cheek even as she felt the warmth draining from his fingers. "Why did you—? Why did you have to—?"

She stopped and choked back a sob. Ben's eyes remained fixed on hers, as if he were memorizing them, and his thumb brushed gently over her skin.

"You…you are so beautiful. That's what…I wanted to tell you."

Rey sniffed and leaned into his hand, her heart fracturing. Ben swallowed hard as tears leaked from his eyes.

"And you…you made my life worth living."

His lids closed again, and his hand grew heavy. She held it tighter, rubbing her thumbs back and forth across his palm.

"Ben…"

His chest was barely moving now, and fear seized her.

"Don't leave me."

Falling forward, Rey buried her face in the blackness of his robe. She pressed a tear-soaked kiss to the back of his cold hand, curling her body against his and refusing to let him go. She could not remember a time when his presence did not exist in her mind—in her soul. Years before they had ever crossed paths, a voice had spoken to her as she sat amidst the desolate sands of Jakku, telling her that she was not alone. She had seen him in her dreams, never believing that he was anything more than a figment of her imagination.

But the Force had brought them together, against all odds, because their destinies were intertwined. And all was as the Force willed it to be.

As Ben's chest became still, Rey slowly raised her head. An invisible storm was brewing around her—inside her. A gaping wound had opened in the Force, a yawning void that was throwing everything into chaos. Like a planet that had been tipped off its axis, the Force itself had been destabilized.

_All is as the Force wills it. And what is the will of the Force?_

"Balance," she whispered, realization dawning on her.

Sitting up, Rey looked down at Ben's pale features, and hers hardened with determination. It wasn't over—not yet.

Placing her hands on his chest, she closed her eyes and began to meditate. The sounds of battle faded away, and she focused on Ben's broken body, his exhausted spirit. Locating faint traces of life still stirring within him, Rey touched them with her mind. A spark ignited. The tips of her fingers started to tingle, and she allowed some of her energy to pass into him.

With the Force guiding her, she began to repair the damage that had been done. And as she did, Rey restored and accelerated his own healing processes. Cracked bones healed. Mangled flesh mended. Ben's wound was closed, and thus, so was the wound in the Force.

When she opened her eyes, Rey saw a strange blue glow emanating from her hands. Sweat beaded on her brow, strands of dark hair falling around her face as she finally relaxed and took a deep breath. The light faded, and now, her hopeful gaze was fixed on his face.

"Wake up, Ben," she murmured. " _Please._ "

Leaning over him, Rey smoothed back his hair and softly kissed his forehead.

"You have to come back to me," she whispered, tears dripping from her chin. "I…I love you."

The words sounded strange as they left her lips, but not wrong. Instead, it was as if a great burden had been lifted from her shoulders. Her recognition and understanding of her feelings, accompanied by her admission of them, had finally freed her from the cage she had trapped herself inside for so long. She only wished that he could hear her say it.

Rey gave a small gasp of surprise as she felt a large hand touch the back of her head. Ben's eyes opened, and she stopped breathing. Their faces were inches apart, and all she could see was how his gaze shone as he drew her down to him. Her heart swelled with joy.

Cradling his face between her hands, Rey pressed her lips to his. Ben buried his fingers in her hair, gently returning her kiss. And suddenly, she was whole again. As her tears ran down his cheeks, Rey felt indescribable relief wash over her. He was here, safe in her arms at last. _Alive._

When their lips parted, she gave a sheepish laugh and lightly brushed her tears from his face. "Sorry."

"Rey," he said quietly, shifting his hand to her cheek.

"Yes?" she replied, her breath catching somewhere inside her chest.

"I love you too."

She smiled, feeling her face flush as she blinked back more tears. Hastily, she wiped them away, and Ben managed to prop himself on his elbows. But Rey saw him wince and felt a flash of pain that was not her own.

"Careful," she warned, her brow furrowing in concern. "I managed to repair most of the damage, but you need time to rest."

"What about the battle?"

She opened her mouth to reply—

" _Whrrraaargh!_ "

Nearly jumping out of her skin, Rey spun around. "Chewie?! What are you doing here?"

The Wookie growled a response, and her eyes widened.

"You…broke through the blockade, and the ships fled? Then the rebel fleet _did_ come!"

He nodded and gave an affirming grunt. Grinning from ear to ear, Rey looked around for the first time since the dreadnought's destruction and saw stormtroopers offering their surrender. The battle was over.

"We won," she breathed.

Chewbacca approached them, growling again, and she realized that he was addressing Ben this time.

Shaking his head, Ben seemed unable to meet the Wookie's gaze. "I just did what had to be done."

Rey smiled slightly, admiring the humility of his response. Then she glanced back at Chewbacca. "He's badly injured, Chewie. Can you help me get him to a medic?"

"That isn't necessary," Ben protested, holding up a hand. "I can—agh!"

The Wookie had already bent down, thrown Ben's arm around his broad, hairy shoulders, and hoisted him to his feet. Grimacing, Ben pressed his other hand to his torso, and Chewbacca canted his head.

" _Hrarh?_ "

"Yeah. Yeah, I can walk."

"Come on," said Rey, moving to his other side as they helped him back toward the palace.


	20. Chapter 20

"You did great, kid. I know that you made a few wrong turns along the way, but it's the destination that counts. Han would be proud of you, and so would Leia."

Lando Calrissian reached up and gripped Ben's shoulder. All these years later, he still had that same twinkle in his eyes.

Ben shifted uncertainly and glanced at the floor, feeling thoroughly unworthy of anyone's praise. "I hope so."

The old smuggler smiled and gave his shoulder an encouraging squeeze, then allowed his hand to fall back to his side. "Now, if you'll excuse me, there's a very nice looking bar that I've yet to visit."

Ben nodded, managing a nervous smile as Lando turned and walked away. Standing alone in front of one of the many columns that lined the palace corridor, he watched as the rebels and the people of Naboo joyously celebrated their narrow victory. There was drinking and feasting, cheering and laughing. The dark hall was warmly lit, its fiery glow mingling with that of the moon as its ivory rays streamed through the towering windows. And in their merriment, no one took any notice of him.

Or so he thought.

" _Wrharaar._ "

Startled, Ben turned and faced Chewbacca. The Wookie held two small, golden objects in his extended hand. Ben's lips parted with pleasant surprise as he reached out to take them.

"You did it," he breathed, meeting Chewbacca's solemn blue gaze. "Thank you."

The Wookie responded with a series of grunts and growls, and Ben nodded.

"I will," he promised.

Chewbacca was silent for a moment, his wise face deep in thought as he looked at the son of Han Solo. Then he reached out and ruffled his hair, just as he had when Ben was a boy.

" _Wrahgh._ "

The Wookie gestured past him, and Ben's eyes widened. Quickly, he slipped the items into a compartment on his belt, then made an about-face. In an instant, the rest of the world grew dim, and he could see only her. Rey's dark hair was bound up and back from her face, an elegant gown of soft yellow, pink, and purple draping across her body. Her green eyes danced as she smiled at him, but Ben found that his tongue had turned to lead, his mouth hanging uselessly open.

She approached him with a hint of hesitancy, her cheeks flushing. "Hi."

He blinked, willing his mind to work, willing his lips to form words. "Hi," he managed.

"It's…good to see you up and about," Rey replied, rubbing her arm. "You look like you're feeling better."

"I am," he nodded. Pausing for a moment, he swallowed. "And you look…incredible."

"Really?" she responded hopefully, her features brightening. Then she blushed harder. "I mean—thanks."

Ben couldn't help but smile at her, feeling the unfamiliar but not unwelcome warmth of affection spread through him. Then to their left, there was a sudden flash of light and a loud boom. Rey jumped and spun toward the nearby balcony.

"What was that?" she exclaimed anxiously.

"Don't worry," he assured her. "It's just fireworks."

She gave him a curious look. "What are fireworks?"

His eyebrows rose. "You don't—? Oh…right."

Rey's face had fallen, but when Ben offered his hand to her, she met his gaze again.

"Come with me," he suggested. "I'll show you."

"All right," she agreed with a slight smile.

Placing her hand in his, she let him lead her through the open doors and out onto the balcony. Far below them, bathed in moonlight, were the rolling hills, the lazily flowing river, the distant mountains—and the charred remains of the dreadnought. The hulking warship was a blight on the otherwise unblemished view, and Ben sighed when he saw it.

"What a mess."

"Maybe," said Rey. "But it's a reminder—a reminder that we won."

As they came to the railing, she glanced up at him and smiled again. Her hand was small in his, her skin toughened by years of scavenging in the desert. But he savored the strength of it and the reassurance it brought him.

"What is it?" she asked, noting how he stared down at their entwined fingers.

The truth was that he was remembering a time not so long ago when she had refused his hand. And now…

Ben shook his head, gazing deeply into her eyes. "I just…can't believe I'm here. With you."

Rey drifted closer to him and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "I'm glad you are."

Suddenly, an explosion of colors ignited the sky above them. She gasped and turned to look. Bursts of red and green. Blue and purple. Some scattered fiery sparks that crackled and shimmered as they rained down from the heavens. Others whooshed and darted across the sky like shooting stars.

But Ben paid little attention to them, for he was captivated by the childlike wonder in Rey's eyes. Her grip on his hand had tightened, and she grinned from ear to ear.

"Oh, they're beautiful," she breathed.

Rey leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder, and he blinked in surprise. For a moment, he was unsure how to respond. Then, slowly, he relaxed and wrapped his arm around her waist. Holding her close, he looked up at the sky and thanked the Force that there was a will in the universe that transcended his own. A cosmic will that had seen fit to bring the two of them together—to bring balance back into the world.

This was the last night he would spend on Naboo. Just prior to the beginning of the celebration feast, Queen Vashti had privately summoned him to discuss his future, and she had shown him far more mercy than he deserved. In exchange for saving her people and the Resistance on Naboo, she had agreed to grant him his freedom—provided that he departed the planet as soon as possible.

Of course, he had accepted her generous offer. But one question still remained. What would Rey choose to do?

They stood in silence for some time, watching the fireworks flash overhead, until she finally twisted around to gaze up at him. "Something's troubling you," she observed, her brow furrowing with concern.

Ben sighed, knowing that there was no point in denying it. He turned and faced her, taking both of her hands in his. It was time—time to ask her.

"Rey…I spoke to the queen."

There was a flicker of worry in her eyes. "And?"

"She's agreed to let me go in peace, but I can't stay here. I have to leave—tomorrow."

She blinked and glanced away, her lips parting. He could feel the rush of fear that suddenly assailed her.

"What…what are you saying?"

"I'm saying…" He stopped and swallowed hard. "I want you to come with me."

Her eyes darted back to his. Summoning his courage, Ben lowered himself onto one knee and released her left hand.

"Rey…you know how I feel about you. I never want to leave your side. And, if you'll have me, I never will."

Reaching into the small compartment on his belt, he withdrew a simple gold ring and held it up to her.

"Rey, will you marry me?"

She stared at him, her mouth hanging open. Her right hand trembled in his left. Tears glittered in her eyes, and she finally nodded.

"Yes," she managed, a radiant smile spreading across her face. "Yes, I will!"

And without waiting another second, Rey threw herself into his arms. Nearly dropping the ring, Ben caught her and laughed. And for the first time, they embraced each other with the knowledge that they would never be parted again. Her arms were wrapped tightly around him, her fingers tangled in his hair as he buried his face in her neck. He could feel her heart pounding in tandem with his own.

Rey drew back just enough to take his face in her hands and press a fervent kiss to his lips. And for a moment, Ben lost himself in it, but then he remembered something—something important.

"Wait," he said with a smile as he broke the kiss. "Don't forget—there are traditions, you know."

"Well _I_ wouldn't know, would I?" she responded with a playful smirk.

He should his head, failing to conceal his amusement. "Here. Hold out your hand."

She did as he asked, and Ben slipped the band onto her finger. Rey canted her head as she looked at it.

"Where did you find this? It feels almost…familiar somehow."

Solemnly, he met her gaze. "My father's dice."

"What?" she gasped, her other hand flying to her mouth. "Ben, I—"

"Rey," he interrupted, placing his hand on her cheek as he stared intently into her eyes, "even after all these years, those dice had never been separated from each other. They were always linked. And now, we are too. _You_ are my family now."

Tears spilled down her cheeks, and Ben brushed them away. Then he leaned in, kissing her slowly—deeply. The woman who had once been nothing to him but a scavenger from Jakku. Who had become a Jedi—and his equal. And now, she was his partner, his soulmate—his _wife._

He had done nothing to deserve her, and yet, here she was. Indeed, the Force worked in mysterious ways, for the light that he had once despised—that had never ceased calling to him even in his darkness—had taken the one form that he could not resist.

_Her._

**********

Ben stepped into the dark, empty cockpit of the _Millennium Falcon_. It was the following morning, and the time had come for him and Rey to depart. Flicking on the lights, he allowed his eyes to wander over every inch of it, hardly believing that it now belonged to him. But Chewie had insisted, saying that he no longer needed it, for he planned to finally return to his family on Kashyyyk.

Ben placed his hand on the back of the pilot's chair, his gaze drifting down to the gold band on his finger. A profound ache of grief and loss filled his heart, and he wished, more than anything, that he could see his father one last time. That he could tell him how sorry he was. That he could show him how he had changed.

But then he heard his mother's voice, an echo of his vision, reminding him….

_"Even when you can't see me, I'll always be with you."_

And he chose to believe it. About her. About his father. About all of them.

"Ben?"

Turning, he saw Rey standing in the doorway. Her cheeks were wet with tears.

"Are you all right?" he asked, taking a step toward her.

"I'm fine," she replied, hastily wiping them away. "In fact, I've never been happier. It's just, well, goodbyes are difficult."

"I understand."

Rey smiled and moved closer, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze. "Come on," she said softly. "Let's get out of here."

Ben watched her slide into the copilot's seat, then smiled as he followed her lead and lowered himself into the pilot's chair—his _father's_ chair.

"Where to?" he asked, firing up the freighter's newly repaired systems.

"Anywhere," she answered with an adventurous grin.

That was good enough for him, and when the hangar doors opened, the Falcon flew out to meet the rising sun. His old life was ending, but another was just beginning. A new journey awaited them, and this time, they would embark upon it together.

**********

First comes the day  
Then comes the night.  
After the darkness  
Shines through the light.  
The difference, they say,  
Is only made right  
By the resolving of gray  
Through refined Jedi sight.

— _Journal of the Whills_ , 7:477


End file.
